The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind to host sing-a-long with Sohan and the Experiments

The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) proudly announces its upcoming sing-a-long with Sohan and the Experiments in collaboration with guest artists Damien and Rajitha from Misty on 27 November. Tickets will be priced at Rs. 1,500 and the event will be held at the Stables at Park Street Mews (the venue sponsor of the event).Tickets will be available at Park Street Mews, the Ladies College office, the Bishops College office and the Bishops Diocese office, Bauddhaloka Mawatha. 

Both Rajitha from Misty and Sohan and the Experiments are well-known local artists who have also received high international acclaim. They have both performed in many countries such as France, Australia, Dubai and Canada. The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind is planning on raising money for its three schools and hopes that this seasonal fundraiser will increase awareness about the schools and their work. This event will also be sponsored by the Daily Mirror, Sunday Times, MTV and Legends.

The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind in Ratmalana was founded in 1912 by Mary F. Chapman, thereafter a school was also set up in Jaffna. CSDB is a charitable institution governed by the Diocese of Colombo and managed by a Board of Trustees. Though it is an assisted school the Government only provides funding for some of the teachers and provides Rs. 50 per day per hosteller for meals. 

The aim of the school is to provide a comprehensive academic and vocational education for children of all races, up to GCE O/L, so that they can enjoy fulfilling lives and make a positive contribution to the country and society.  The school has a set of teachers who are specially trained to teach children with visual and auditory impairments, and they work closely with the children to build them into confident young adults who can take on the challenges of the real world. CSDB has already had many success stories from the school’s bakery training and choral singing programmes. 

In order to provide students with a high-quality education and an effective vocational training, the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind needs approximately Rs. 25 million a year, over and above the government contribution that is made. This amount covers the payment of teachers as well as specialist teachers such as speech therapists and carers. Funds are also required to support students with special needs, to provide students with food and lodging and to develop and repair the school’s infrastructure and facilities. The school also has to purchase hearing aids for children under the age of seven, who need assistance with overcoming their auditory impairments.

The Resource Development Committee of the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind conducts on-going fundraising events each year, alongside its sponsor a child and sponsor a meal programmes, to raise much needed funds for the school.  Each year, fundraisers such as a silent art auction featuring the work of talented artists, the sale of Christmas cards, concerts held in collaboration with the three schools and finally the sing-a-long, help raise much needed funds for the school.