Projects

Apart from Home-visiting through our trained volunteers to address the issues of social exclusion; such as isolation, lack of access to information, limited or no knowledge on parenting, lack of basic literacy skills, poor self-esteem and lack of confidence in managing family life and household, etc. Home-Start Lanka has initiated the following programmes to address some of the other needs of those families we are currently supporting to sustain the confidence they gain from the Home-Visiting service we provide and also to use that service (home-visiting) as a tool of monitoring/follow-up for many of the following services.

Family Drop-ins

Everyday families drop by at our schemes to discuss their confidential matters with the staff and also to meet other parents/ volunteers, after consultation with families and volunteers we now have a 30 week planned family drop-in sessions to give families a holistic service.

Out of 48 weeks we are open, we conduct specific programmes for 32 weeks (from 10am -12noon and 3pm-5pm)

1. Promoting safety at home and neighbourhood week (4 wks)
2. How to protect your children (Child Protection policy awareness) week (4 wks)
3. Healthy living week (food, hygiene, communicable diseases, childhood illnesses, etc.) (6 wks)
4. Fun & Play (how to enjoy with your children, where to go, safety, suitable toys/books, etc.) (4 wks)
5. learning new skills (Basic cookery, first Aid, literacy skills, sewing skills) (8 wks)
6. Supporting older children to gain new skills (personal development and entrepreneurial skills) (6 wks)
   
   In the other 18 weeks many families enjoy their time at the centre while receiving one to one support from the volunteers and staff of HSL or attend other programmes conducted by HSL.

Early (Therapeutic) Intervention programme

Basic speech & language therapy, physiotherapy and counseling is provided through our trained volunteers (10 wk volunteers training and 4 wk specialist training) and also 8 times a year we offer the families to get professional/expert advice and guidance (including the initial assessment & intervention)

Nutritional Programmes at Satellite Schemes (mainly to support anemic conditions of mums to be)

These are being conducted either once a week or month in every scheme. A cookery demonstration and nutritional values are given at the beginning and then all those who attend on the day are provided with the meal which was demonstrated (This is also to encourage healthy eating).

Fifteen different set menus are planned in consultation with doctors and nutritionists/dieticians to address malnutrition of children, anemic conditions of pregnant mothers and poor health of lactating mothers.

Volunteer Training Programme (Home-Start Volunteer Preparation Course)

This is a programme that takes place thrice a year and each course runs over ten weeks. All volunteers must attend one of these programmes before they can be assigned to do any work for Home-Start.

Local and International Support

Donations, funding and training are some of the key areas supported by other organisations.

 

Charity Shop

A place where local families could get low cost items such as baby clothes, bed linen, children’s toys, books, adult clothes, household items etc. This is managed by Home-Start volunteer mums and the profit will be used to support the store and pay expenses to volunteers. This is also another way of empowering the mothers to gain new skills in house/at work.