Differently-abled Girl Guides showcase their talents at Kingsbury
Friday, 17 October 2014 00:00
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An evening of song and dance titled ‘We are Special’ was presented by the branch for the Differently-Abled of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association on 29 September at The Kingsbury, Colombo.
The event was held to create awareness about the various talents of the differently-abled girl guides and to raise funds for their future activities. A large number of differently-abled girl guides from several institutions in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Moratuwa, Ratmalana and Nugegoda participated.
In her opening remarks, Saumya Jayasekera, Director of the Branch for the Differently-Abled of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, stated: “On the outside, they are different. But on the inside they are the same. They too get excited. They too like to be a part of a game. All they really want is to be treated like any one of us. So give them a chance and make their dream come true.”
The evening’s performances included fusion drumming, Japanese and Bollywood dance acts and singing of Sinhala and Tamil classical songs. Girl guides who are sight and hearing impaired as well as those with Down’s syndrome showcased their many talents to a large audience which included the elite of Colombo.
Many of those present expressed their support by purchasing greeting cards which had the creations of the differently-abled girl guides printed on the cover. Dancers from the popular Antonio Dance Circle also showed their support by performing a ballroom dance routine.
The differently-abled branch of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association has over 300 members. They belong to more than 15 institutions in the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Provinces of Sri Lanka.
Its leaders have been trained to cater to the special needs of these children which include learning disabilities, Down’s Syndrome, sight or hearing impairment and autism and those affected by the civil war in the north and the east of the country.
