29 Nov Mending the Broken
Nevedita manages all aspects of the Child Protection Department of LEADS, a community development organization in Sri Lanka, and works extensively with abused children. Even through the difficulties posed by the pandemic, they were able to implement the Northern Residential Facility programme and support around 20 children within the residential facility. Below are two cases they encountered during this past quarter.
Ash* grew up in a Child Development Centre (CDC), yearning for a sense of belonging having been deprived of her father’s protection and mother’s care. Her father passed away while she was still in the womb, and subsequently became separated from her mother when she was only 3 months old. When Ash turned 17 years old, she was transferred to another CDC. This is when LEADS began to engage with her and start the work of locating her mother.
When she heard about her lost daughter, Ash’s mother travelled across a district on foot, despite her heart disease, longing to see her child. She spent the night at a bus station and in the morning, she was reunited with her daughter and had the opportunity to explain why she had not been present in Ash’s life.
After the death of her husband, Ash’s mother had no one to rely on and thus, she was forced to support herself by begging on the streets. It was during this time that she had lost Ash. Although she had a house, Ash’s mother still lived on the streets. Her oldest married daughter would only visit her to take what little money she collected through begging.
Ash always thought her birth was a mistake, believing she was unwanted. Hearing her mother’s plight and knowing that she was not abandoned filled her heart with love. All she had ever wanted was to live with her mother. During Ash’s stay at the LEADS respite therapeutic centre, Ash began to develop life skills and discover her own ability, worth and self-esteem. She is fuelled with the hope that one day she can take care of her mother.
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The team at LEADS first met Ella* during a group counselling session they conducted at a CDC. There were many complaints made against her, such as touching and caressing the private parts of other children and stealing from both adults and children alike. She was also unkempt and reeked of bad body odour. The team recognized that Ella was a cry for help.
They began looking deeper into her background and came to know that she was the third daughter of a family of ten, including the parents. Ella’s parents separated when she was young, and her father returned to his hometown with two of the children, while the others remained with their mother.
Soon after, Ella’s mother began an affair with a man who moved into their home. Ella and her two sisters were sexually abused by him and were thereafter, transferred to CDCs.
As the team slowly began to work personally with Ella, they noticed a gradual change. She began to practice good hygiene and her psychological condition improved drastically. Ella initially had the habit of eating her own hair, which she stopped. Her thieving habits, which she apparently learnt from her mother, also reduced.
However, the team recognised that their work with her was far from over and there was a need for continual guidance and counselling. There are plans to help Ella form healthy relationships with her mother and siblings in the future. They are also working with the Department of Probation and Child Care Services to locate her family. Ella also requires continuous medical and educational support.
Please continue to pray for this new Northern Residential Facility programme and also for the mental and emotional well-being of Nevedita and the whole team – as they counsel, serve, and attend to the difficult cases that come their way. Pray also for the abused children they minsters to.
*names changed to protect privacy