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| 1000 Wheels of Hope project launched by CPLF |
This foundation (CPLF) is the first and
the organization in Sri Lanka set up to provide educational and therapeutic
services for children with cerebral palsy and associated movement disorders.
The aim is to make the children independent and confident, create a sense of
self-esteem through therapy, coordinated with awareness building and training
programmes for parents.
Commenting on the project, Mr.
Gopi Kitnasamy, Founder/Director of CPLF stated, “the project, named ‘1000
Wheels of Hope’, is aimed at collecting funds to purchase 1000 paediatric wheel
chairs for under privileged children with Cerebral Palsy. This is but a drop in
the ocean for us but we hope that people will come forward to support us in
this worthy initiative. Thus lending support and showing care to children
suffering from this illness and also to their families, giving them a sense of self-worth.
This will encourage them to come out of
their house, move forward and participate in the society, as otherwise most of
these children are house bound. The aim of the project is not only to bring
hope and smile to the lives of children with Cerebral Palsy, but also empower
them and make a positive change in their world to make their lives better.”
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| World Cerebral Palsy Day |
Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that
affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It usually
affects children within the first two years. Cerebral Palsy is not a disease, and it
is also understood that the vast majority of cases come about at the time of
birth or before birth. Even though Cerebral Palsy is not curable there are many specialized
treatments available that provide therapy to make it possible for children to
become active in the community given the limitations of their disability.
The number of
children with Cerebral Palsy is as high as 8-10 per 1000 births in Sri Lanka while it is as
low as 6 per 1000 births in the developed world. There are an estimated 40,000
children with Cerebral Palsy in Sri Lanka (CPLF has initiated a project on
getting the exact statistics in Sri Lanka) and 17 million around the world. It is
the most common physical disability in
childhood.
CPLF commenced operations on October 6th 2011, with the establishment
of a head office and the first ‘The
Dream Centre’ in Wattala. The Dream Centre is a Resource and
Rehabilitation centre set up to provide educational and therapeutic services
exclusively for children with Cerebral Palsy. Since then CPLF have opened up a
second centre in Moratuwa, with a vision to set up one such center in each
district of Sri Lanka. CPLF also conducts numerous awareness programmes and
training sessions on Cerebral Palsy throughout the country.
CPLF works closely with the World Health
Organization (WHO) and is affiliated with organizations like International
Cerebral Palsy Society (ICPS), American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and
Developmental Medicine (AACPDM), Indian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Spastics
Society of Tamil Nadu.
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