The past year has been both rewarding and challenging for ACC International Relief project HelpKids, Sri Lanka. In a nation torn by civil war and high rates of child abuse, this children’s home represents a beacon of hope offering rehabilitation, counseling, awareness and prevention work combined with access to education and vocational training to young children at risk.

The program has received excellent feedback from local government and police officials indicating that HelpKids is contributing within the community to an overall reduction of child abuse in the area and is positively impacting the lives of children and families. A recent workshop that included discussions on protecting children from abuse, immunisation, nutrition and the importance of education saw 98% of families participate. This shows that the families within the community are willingly and actively engaging with the program.

Since 2008, 81 children enrolled and benefited from educational services provided by HelpKids. A further 55 children received preschool education equipping them with the necessary skills to enter the local schooling system.  HelpKids also assists children who have missed schooling to re-enter the system through the provision of catch-up classes. These have proved very successful with 100% of past-participants having been reintegrated back into the local school system.

Program managers, Narel and Alison Atkinson place a high value on staff capacity building. Staff members have ongoing access to professional development opportunities and workshops in the areas of: play therapy, health and safety, early childhood development, record keeping, goal setting and individual evaluation and physical education.

We invite you to partner with this exciting intervention as it continues to facilitate positive change within this community. For more information on the HelpKids projects, please call our office on 1300 997 502.

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