Red Cross provides vital support for programs in Sri Lanka

Topics: Asia
September 19, 2012

Red Cross provides vital support for programs in Sri Lanka

While the Canadian Red Cross has worked with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRC) since 1992, its presence in the country increased after the 2004 Asian tsunami devastated the region.

By lending support to several large-scale projects, including supporting community health programs, improving health facilities, leading prevention education in an effort to protect children from abuse, expanding education and training programs, the Canadian Red Cross has sought to respond to the country's most urgent needs and assist vulnerable persons.

The Canadian Red Cross has started several great initiatives to benefit communities in Sri Lanka, including organizational development, which offers technical and financial support to the SLRC and the First Aid initiative, which is part of the overall partnership with the health department of the SLRC and will continue until December 2013.

With projects like Creating Safe Environments - Be Safe and Ten Steps, the Canadian Red Cross helps support violence prevention education and promote the safety of children, while Rebuilding and Strengthening Livelihoods in Post-Tsunami Sri Lanka, supports the reconstruction of homes, wells and toilets.

In addition, in 2005 and 2006, the organization sent a Canadian surgical team to the Kilinochchi Hospital in northern Sri Lanka to provide much-needed medical assistance. The organization provided generous funding to facilities such as the Polonnaruwa General Hospital, Vavuniya General Hospital, Bentota General Hospital and Madampagama Rural Hospital, which were in need of infrastructure improvements and vital medical equipment.

Communities in Sri Lanka have proved to be resilient. Support from agencies like the Red Cross has enabled the country to move forward, while Canadian aid workers have provided integral training to Sri Lankan healthcare providers to help survivors battling stress, loss and grief resolve those feelings in a healthy manner. 

The Canadian Red Cross has also lent aid the SLRC in its efforts create a community health program for displaced persons who are currently resettling in northern Sri Lanka and supported the training and deployment of First Aid volunteers and ambulance personnel to this area.

By supporting Canadian Red Cross International Programs through generous donations, you can improve the lives of those in need in Sri Lanka and other countries suffering from world health issues. To learn more, please donate online today or contact your local Red Cross office. 

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