Hope for a new journey

Sahan Akalanka/29/08/2012/ (3)

It was another day in our community medicine clerkship program, we had to visit Colombo Friends in need society near Nangarama temple..The Colombo Friend-in-Need Society (CFINS) is the oldest Charitable Organisation in Sri Lanka. Established originally in the year 1831 under the Patronage of then Governor Sir Edward Barnes, the Society has now completed over 175 years of service to the people of Sri Lanka.The Jaipur Foot Programme, administered by CFINS, is the main provider of prosthetic limbs and orthotic appliances to disabled persons in Sri Lanka. It runs a prosthetic/orthotic Workshop in central Colombo, where disabled persons come in to get custom-fitted artificial limbs, developed under the Jaipur foot technique, to give them a new lease of life.

Today The CFINS’s Limb-fitting Centre has become a one- stop service facility for all disabled persons who require prosthetic, orthotic and orthopaedic appliances to overcome their disabilities. Amputees from areas outside Colombo are provided free board and lodging in the Transit Hostel run by the CFINS, to enable them to stay in the premises until their limbs are fabricated, fitted and aligned and they are trained to use them. It is a unique and complete package of services no other Institution in Sri Lanka can provide.

Through this service, CFINS endeavours to improve the quality of life and advance the rights of physically handicapped and disabled persons by

• helping amputees and other disabled persons to regain mobility and overcome the physical and psychological trauma of limb-loss and loss of mobility.
• helping amputees and disabled persons to regain their self-esteem, dignity and sense of well-being and re-integrate into mainstream society by leading as normal a life as possible.
• helping disabled children to continue their schooling without interruption and develop their full potential by providing educational grants.
• providing needy amputees and disabled persons with interest free loans to enable them to undertake income generating activities so that they could support themselves without being a burden on others.
• setting an example to other prospective employers by employing amputees and disabled persons. (As many as 8 out of the CFINS ’ s staff are disabled).