Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Development Disorders – A Centre for Excellence
The profound truth is that within every one of us lies a hidden strength, a talent waiting to explode onto the world stage.
In Sri Lanka, an extraordinary transformation has been relentlessly unfolding for years. It’s an initiative about empowerment. That initiative by the MJF Foundation, which has been serving and uplifting communities for a significant time, is the Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy and other Development Disorders (CCCPDD).
Cerebral palsy (CP), the most common form of childhood physical disability, results from irregular brain development or brain damage before or after birth. For too long, this has been seen as a limitation. But at the CCCPDD, they’ve flipped the script!
This Centre for excellence is a resource hub providing practical education, essential therapy for children with CP, and, crucially, a training and learning base for the caregivers, teachers, and professionals who work with these incredible children. To date, CCCPDD has nurtured and supported 322 young lives, helping each child tap into their own source of inner power.
The children at CCCPDD are not defined by their disability; they are defined by their unlimited mindset.
Consider the facility, which houses Colombo’s first wheelchair-accessible pool! This isn’t just about hydrotherapy; it’s about freedom, movement, and the sheer joy of splashing away limitations.
The curriculum is just as expansive, refusing to box the children in. Providing skills in cookery, handicrafts, vocational training, and essential education.
Specialised therapy sessions are provided by physiotherapists and brilliant interns from reputed state universities, ensuring that every child gets the tailored support they need to maximise their physical capability.
Imagine the moment a young person realises they can move people not just with their courage, but with their art.
On 30th of July, the Performing Arts Unit was launched at the Centre. Within days, the impact was profound. Fifteen young dancers took to the stage at the Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion (DEI) Awards of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. These young champions weren’t just attending an awards ceremony; they were performing at an event dedicated to celebrating inclusion!
The stories of the students are the fuel that powers this mission. Every child at CCCPDD is born with a gift, and the Centre’s role is simply to help them uncover and understand the immense power they carry within themselves.
Janitha Piyanadun, diagnosed with Down syndrome, is a gifted pianist. He doesn’t just play notes; he plays emotion.
Oshen Senath, living with a spinal deformation, is a true polymath: talented in tennis, crafts, and wheelchair dancing. He also successfully passed his Grade 5 Scholarship Exam.
Dulanga, also diagnosed with Down syndrome, is an enthusiastic dancer and academically well-versed, she embodies the idea that you can be brilliant in both mind and body. These children are always ready to seize any opportunity to showcase their talents, like their Annual Art & Craft Exhibition. They are a living testament to the fact that talent knows no boundaries. This year’s Exhibition took place on 27th September which turned the Centre into a vibrant gallery, where the exclusive artworks of more than 100 children shone as bold testaments to their talent, determination and imagination.
This extraordinary mission is the living, breathing legacy of the late Dilmah founder, Merrill J. Fernando. He dreamt of a business that would genuinely benefit the community at large. That dream is not abstract; it’s taking place every single day here at the MJF Foundation through initiatives like this. Your challenge today is not to look at these children with sympathy, but with admiration. They are not disabled; they are differently-abled achievers. They are showing the world what happens when potential is nurtured and given a platform to shine.
