Programme for Children with Special Needs

 

An exposure programme for Children with Special  needs looked after at ‘Ozanam’ Centre, Sathurukondan, Batticaloa and ‘Zahira’ School for the handicapped, Kattankudy was conducted at the Sea Beach of Kallady, Batticaloa on 13.09.2011. This programme was conducted under the ‘Social Justice and Sustainable Peace’ Programme of  Caritas EHED, Batticaloa – Kalmunai.

25 Special needs children , 06 Teachers and 01 Rev. Sister from the ‘Ozanam’ Centre in Sathurukondan, Batticaloa and 30 Specia lneeds children and 04 Teachers from ‘Zahira’ Special School from Kattankudy-06 took part in this programme.

The main Objective of conducting this exposure programme was to make joyful  the handicapped children belonging to two different ethnic communities by bringing them together in a peaceful and quiet natural environment away from their usual places of living. They enjoyed the scenic beauty of Kallady Sea Beach in Batticaloa with stretches of Casuarina  plantations in rows adjacent  to the Sea coast planted after the 2004 tsunami as speed breaker  from the tidal waves cum storm breaker during sto0rmy weather.

The children spent the day playing freely under the casurina plantation which helped them to build up team Spirit and also helped them to understand each other. Teachers from the two centres guided the children in performing dances of their choice and to a session of sing songs.

Indeed, it was a happy occasion  for the special needs children from the two communities who were given the opportunity to interact joyfully with each other.