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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
VOLUME - 04 - ISSUE - 04 October 2012

BRANCH PROFILE
04 Divisions with 12 units 1016 volunteers and over 2000 members

CORE AREAS
Health Disaster Management Organizational Development Promoting Humanitarian Values

IPCR Assists Disaster in Kolonnawa

On Sunday the 14th of October 2012 the community of Dahampura, 101 Watta and 23 Watta were helpless when a patch of land which is situated very close to the community that is used to dump garbage shifted due to the pressure exerted by the weight of garbage dumped over the years destroying most of the houses in the area and also making a nearby canal over flow, flooding the area, an estimate of 167 families and 77 houses were affected in which 33 houses were completely destroyed and 44 houses were partially damaged. The SLRCS, Integrated Programme for Community Resilience (IPCR) team of the Colombo Branch were one of the first teams present in the scene where they immediately visited the affected areas accompanied with the District Disaster Management Center (DDMCU) and did a 24 hour assessment and as per the request of the government the team organized a First Aid point and Health clinic for the affected population of the community who have been given temporary shelters in the Vidyawardena School in Kolonnawa. There were 20 numbers of Red Cross volunteers present from the Dhahampura, Megoda Kolonnawa and Jalthara (Homagama) areas who coordinated with the DDMCU and helped in the cooking, distribution and various other ways where our help was needed. The Colombo Branch along with the National Head Quarters made arrangements to provide 100 numbers of hygiene packs, 100 pairs of slippers, 50 packs of candles, 25 sleeping mats and 5 temporary toilets. The Government Agent (GA), Divisional Secretariat (DS) and the Grama Niladari of the Kolonnawa urban Council were also present and contributed greatly to make this IDP camp a success.

BRANCH COMMITTEE
Jagath Abeysinghe Hony. Chairman Kithsiri Rathnapriya Hony. Secretary Kumari Kothalawala Branch Executive Officer

Editor: Tuan Rifkhan Arbee Photographer: Gayan Wasantha

HIGHLIGHTS:

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Message from the Government Agent and Micro Enterprise Development Integrated Programme for Community Resilience Branch Activities

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SRI LANKA RED CROSS SOCIETY - COLOMBO BRANCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

VOLUME - 04 - ISSUE 04 / OCTOBER 2012

Saviya

Message from the Government Agent

I have seen the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society in action for only a short period o f time but within that period I understood that the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) is capable of doing a tremendous task. When disaster struck the area of Kolonnawa the SLRCS Colombo Branch was one of the first organizations that were present in the situation, the SLRCS staff and volunteers showed eagerness to serving the vulnerable communities by providing an ample amount of Non Food relief Items, First Aid and Medical Health Clinics to the Internally Displaces People in the area. I should thank the SLRCS for its fullest support and I wish the SLRCS Colombo Branch the very of best luck to continue this dignified humanitarian service to the country.

Micro Enterprise Development

The Taiwan MOU Project that was previously implemented in Kandawalawatte (Rathmalana) and Ambalangoda, Heraliyawala and Madammana (Homagama) has been very successful so therefore the community of both these areas requested for further support from our services. On the approval of our Branch Executive Officer (BEO) Mrs. Kumari Kotalawala the Micro Enterprise Development division made initial arrangements for the enrolment of new beneficiaries where 15 numbers of beneficiaries from the Ambalangoda and the Heraliyawala areas and 20 numbers of beneficiaries from the Godagama area were selected. The 1st step of this programme was entrepreneurship development training for these newly enrolled beneficiaries and a total number of 35 beneficiaries participated some who were currently involved in developing businesses and some who were in the initial stages of starting a business. A business plan was made by the individuals itself during the training so that it could be implemented. .

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SRI LANKA RED CROSS SOCIETY - COLOMBO BRANCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

VOLUME - 04 - ISSUE 04 / OCTOBER 2012

Saviya

Integrated Programme for Community Resilience (IPCR)

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) Colombo Branchs IPCR team organized a Health Clinic for Non Communicable Diseases on the 27th and the 28th of October 2012 at the Megoda Kolonnawa and 449 - Jalthara areas in the Colombo District. Initially registration took place on the 20th of October 2012 in the Senivirathnaramya Temple in Megoda Kolonnawa where 70 numbers of patients both male and female above the age of 35 were present and on the 21st of October 2012 in Jalthara Maha Vidyalaya in Jalthara where 60 numbers of patients were present both male and female also above the age of 35 where blood tests of these registered patients were taken by Medical Laboratory Technicians. The Clinic then took place on the 27th and the 28th of October 2012 in Megoda Kolonnawa and Jalthara areas, there were 2 Family Health Workers (Midwife) present in Megoda Kolonnawa where an awareness programme was conducted by one of the Family Health Worker for the patients on the prevention, risk reduction factors of NCD and food patterns of NCD. The IPCR team along with the Public Health Inspector (PHI) also conducted an awareness programme on the prevention, risk reduction factors of NCD and food patterns of NCD for the patients who were present in Jalthara. Body Mass Index (BMI) of these patients was checked by Family Health Workers who were present in the areas and these reports with the Blood Test reports were given to the doctors present in the clinic for further. There were 3 numbers of doctors present in both clinics. There were 31 numbers of patients in the Megoda Kolonnawa and 26 numbers of patients in the Jalthara area who had a high risk of NCD and were directed to the closest government by the doctors. All patients were also able to know their status on Fasting Blood Sugar and Lipid Profiles. Meanwhile nutrition awareness programmes were organised on the 25th and 27th of October 2012 for pregnant and high risk malnutrition mothers in the areas of Dhahampura and Jalthara.The awareness programme was conducted by a Family Health Worker in the Dhahampura area and the Medical officer of Health (MOH) accompanied by Dr.Padamaka Silva and 4 numbers of Family Health Workers. The awareness programme educated these pregnant mothers on nutrition during pregnancy, how the baby would be affected if no proper nutrition taken, and what types of nutrition females pregnant or not should have.The IPCR team of the Colombo Branch also gave 500g each of Gram and Red Grams ( Kadala and Kaupea) for those pregnant mother who were present in the awareness programme so that they would get used to a certain routing of consuming good nutritious food.

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SRI LANKA RED CROSS SOCIETY - COLOMBO BRANCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

VOLUME - 04 - ISSUE 04 / OCTOBER 2012

Saviya

Branch Activities
The Colombo Branchs commercial First Aid Division has conducted a total number of 30 trainings this month to some of Sri Lankas leading companies in the Colombo district. Anula Vidyalaya in Nugegoda started a new Junior Red Cross Circle on the 29th of October 2012 and to initially start off the circle a First Aid Training was conducted by one of our trained First Aid Instructor Mr. Isuru Hemasiri. Dissemination was also conducted to the students so that they would understand and get to know the history of the Red Cross, its seven Fundamental Principles along with the Geneva conventions and understand the Red Cross movement.

SRI-LANKA RED CROSS SOCIETY - COLOMBO BRANCH

No - 132 A, High Level Road, Kottawa, Pannipitiya. Phone (General): 00 94 011 2178880 Fax (General): 00 94 011 2178881 Ambulance Service: 00 94 011 5555505 E-mail: colombobeo@redcross.lk Web: www.redcross.lk/colombo