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By Sarath Malalasekera

A Japanese non governmental organisation - Palette International Japan has launched a program to train and provide employment opportunities for mentally and physically disabled people here.

The company specialises in social welfare for mentally disabled people.

Palette has opened a Cookie Factory to train and employ the disabled in cookie production. "We have employed eight workers, four mentally disabled and four physically disabled and four instructors - one from Japan and three from Sri Lanka," Ms. Madoka Ando, Manageress of the Palette International, Japan said.

Since its opening in Japan, Palette has attracted a great deal of attention from parents and teachers of mentally disabled persons. Following requests from the IDE School in Colombo, Palette currently trains a mentally disabled student as a job trainee in its cookies factory, she said.

Usually mentally disabled persons have limited opportunities to find employment and have very few chances to socialise. Therefore, job training at Palette is definitely a stimulating experience for them, Ms. Ando said.

"In Sri Lanka, the mentally disabled are considered to be dependent and unable to earn wages and companies would not consider hiring them. It is often the case that the parents are bewildered and desperate about the future of their disabled child, not knowing what to do, she said.

Such social conditions are quite similar to those in Japan when Palette first opened its cookie factory in Tokyo 16 years ago. After 16-years of training, mentally disabled workers have developed professional cookie making skills. "Nowadays in Japan, it is popular for mentally disabled students to receive job training during their school years at workshops conducted by organisations such as Palette for future employment," she said.

Ms. Ando said that Palette training in Sri Lanka would help increase the demand for job opportunities for mentally disabled in Sri Lanka and the people here will recognise the significance of this project.

Palette is registered as an NGO under the Ministry of Social Services. It engages only in non-profit activities such as income generation projects and self-help programs for the disabled.

The Palette Cookie factory is at Meegoda on land donated by Dayashiri Warnakulasooriya, MD of Midaya Ceramic Company Limited.

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