Differently abled; Celebrating different abilities

Lakmini Rodrigo

Sunethra Bandaranaike springing from a strong political dynasty of Sri Lanka perceives a different attitude towards life and success. Being the founder of Sunera Foundation a Government approved charity, she is devoted to revive the hopes of the disabled by recognising and celebrating their differences and different abilities.

According to Bandaranaike the institution came into being as there was nobody in Sri Lanka supporting and helping the differently abled the way they do and, yet, there was such an obvious need for it to be done.

"I first came to work with the differently abled after being invited to a workshop by my friends Rohana Deva and Wolfgang Stange'" she recalled how she began the mission. "Like many Sri Lankans, I hadn't thought much about people with disabilities before that day but after seeing their work, I was transfixed by the beauty that these people brought into my life" she said.

According to her the workshop, their stories and how they were lit up by the work opened her eyes to see people with disabilities in a whole new light.

Road to charity

Today Sunera has spread across Sri Lanka and now it involves more than 750 young people with disabilities, she added. " In addition we have set up workshops in six tsunami affected districts in the North, East and South, to help traumatised young people to cope following the disaster".

Self-learning

"Most of the time we don't train our participants but guide them and support them along the way to training themselves". She has identified their amazing talents, "but they have been told by society to hide themselves away from the world". "We show them that somebody does care about them and think that their contribution is worthwhile" she explained.

Try and testing

Once they feel free to test themselves in a safe environment and to explore the range of performing arts that they are being opened up to, they take, she said. "From then on, they almost train us, as we watch them burst past the activities we lay down and take themselves to absolutely unbelievable heights of talent".

New life, new hope

"In our workshops there is a young man who is completely deaf and dumb. Yet, he has spent his whole life watching how other people interact. Now he is one of Sunera's most talented mime artists - through exploring his own talents for mimicry in the space we offer".

"That's why Sunera's theatre companies are called "Butterflies Theatre Company" and "Butterflies Theatre Company - Second Wing". If our participants come into our workshops as caterpillars, they come out as brilliant butterflies" she said over joyously.

Mission has a vision

Sunera Foundation has one main purpose, Bandaranaike added. " To help reintegrate disabled and marginalised people back into mainstream society".

They work towards this on two fronts. Firstly, to build the self-confidence and creativity of people with disabilities, to reverse the history of shame so many of them has face. "That makes them feel comfortable fitting back into society" she said. Secondly, to dismantle the stigma Sri Lanka has against these people by interacting with families, communities and, finally, the general public.

Social and responsibility

"If these people had adequate support from society, there wouldn't be a need for Sunera Foundation to exist at all" Bandaranaike said. "Sri Lankans need to realise that every one can do our part for them" she noted. "Be their friends, teach them skills, give them jobs - treat them as any other Sri Lankan".

International charities

There are a number of different international charities working with people with disabilities but mostly focused on either specific disabilities such as blindness or being mobility impaired or offer a completely different service such as providing prostheses, she said.

Sunera Foundation is the only organisation in Sri Lanka that provides psychological support and social integration to people of all different kinds of disability - including some those fully abled.

Talking about herself Bandaranaike said that scheduling time is a typical problem for her and being single is not a hindrance to engage in her work "I think a lot of people see being single as some kind of barrier to success when it is, of course, not the case at all".

Childhood and upbringing

She says she grew up in an atmosphere where discipline was very important, something that has helped her focus her efforts to this day. " It also made me want to rebel in many ways, which may be why I'm the only one in my family to have no interest in politics" she said.

Women today

"Although women still face hurdles, but I think we have more opportunities than ever. Today's women need to find out what it is that they want to do with their lives and commit themselves to it. If that's to be the best banker, the best doctor or the best mother, then by all means, they should give themselves the freedom to pursue their dream" she spoke her thoughts.

Anything that is truly worth doing is going to be hard, and there are always obstacles that will come up. To succeed, we have to learn to put those obstacles behind us and strive to fulfil our potential she added