Leos taking over the next phase

Flamboyance 2011:

Demi HEWAMANNA

People have needs of various kinds, especially when it comes to health. When it comes to our health, we are not sure what we have and sometimes when we find it out, we have to get continuous treatment for it. As this takes place one has to visit the doctor everyday when they can't afford home treatment and also when 'particular' treatment is not available city or district.

One of the many illnesses that affect our lives is Cancer. Cancer takes place in any part of our body and unless we get proper treatment we will never be sure of the real dangers behind it. In Sri Lanka there is one major institute that takes care of these cancer patients, but as it is the only one to get the treatment, people have to travel from all over the country to come to the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama for their treatment. Of the 850 patients that come to the NCI 25 percent of them are outpatients who come for chemotherapy and radio therapy.

Most of the patients are allocated bed but a majority have to sleep on the floors, corridors, benches and any corner they can find.

Because of this problem, a foundation named CCC (Courage Compassion Commitment), came together to build a transit home for children and adult outpatients. In this project, they had completed Phase 1 consisting 140 beds, but still it doesn't cover half the patients that come to NCI.

This is where the young and very active team members of Leo District 306 C1 have come forward to raise awareness and collect funds to begin Phase II of the NCI Transit house. The Leos have organized a charity fashion show themed Flamboyance 2011 together Cameron Pale and Medina ltd Head of Marketing Prassanna Pathmanathan.

"The name itself represents glitz and glamour of the show," Prassanna said as he addressed the media at the launch of Flamboyance 2011. This show will showcase the platform for young and upcoming fashion designers and it will uplift the Sri Lankan fashion industry. A panel of judges will be judging the event where 12 new designers will be selected based on their sketches on Casual wear, Evening wear and Fusion wear. This will also be a great opportunity for models who have never walked the ramp before.

These new faces will be guided and trained by former Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe Rozanne Diasz.

"The grand show will be held on January 30 at the Galadari Hotel where there will be seven top personalities to judge and select the best designer of the year," added Prassanna.

"Leo District 306 C1 has 18 fully active individual clubs with a membership of over 350," District President 2010/2011 Dileka de Silva said. We conduct many service projects and we are pushing Sri Lanka forward one project at a time. This event will be a platform for young fashion designers to showcase their talent, she added further.

Speaking of CCC, the foundation was begun in 2008 and through many problems, they had overcome it as they never gave up and they got help when it was needed the most. "A minimum of 1000 patients come to NCI for treatment and 200 of them are from places like Anuradhpura, Jaffna and other far off places," CCC Trustee Suresh Mendis said. The Health Ministry came forward and gave a land right next to Maharagama Hospital. In this transit home there are three floors. The first is kept for the women where there seven rooms and 24 dormitory style beds. The second floor is reserved for men and has the same style as below.

"We are going to start putting in patients from December 1 starting with the children first," Suresh added. At this home, the patients can stay for free, and there are some caregivers who will attend to their needs.

There is no kitchen, the patients are required to bring their own food and stay till they have finished with the treatment.

Leo District 306 C1 and CCC have joined together not to gain recognition but to make people aware of the situation of the patients. To believe it we have to see it and live it. Seeing is believing. So let Flamboyance 2011 be that belief for you to see and experience something that could extend the lifeline of a patient who is having an illness that people are still searching a cure for.