Hands of Hope works with teenagers and young adults with special needs, who are among the most easily overlooked people in any society. It is a diocesan project run by St Paul’s Church, Milagiriya, at Mayura Place, and it exists because opportunities for young adults with special needs largely stop when school does.
What happens there
Sessions three times a week in art, craft, cookery and games, building the practical and social skills that make independence possible, with everything adapted to what each participant can do. Group work is deliberate: teamwork, friendship and belonging are as much the point as the skills. Parents take part in activities and celebrations and go on an annual trip together, which matters as much for them as for their children.
The programme's own account of what has changed is worth repeating plainly. Participants are more confident and more willing to try things. Communication and social interaction have improved. Practical skills have grown to the point of real independence in daily tasks. Friendships have formed. Families have been reassured by watching it happen.
Girl Guiding
Five of the girls have enrolled as Girl Guides and take part in national events. The staff describe this as a major highlight and it is not hard to see why. It is one thing to be included in a programme designed for you. It is another to be a Guide alongside everyone else's daughters.
Ladies' College
Students from the Student Christian Movement at Ladies' College come to work alongside the participants. The school has begun sending students to Hands of Hope as a restorative alternative to conventional punishment, on the reasoning that time spent in service teaches more than a detention. Both sides appear to benefit.
What is next
A specialised programme for the boys is being developed, alongside deeper work on the skills that make interdependent living possible. The programme is also exploring income generating work that participants can take part in, with candle making as the first candidate.
Head of the Functional Skills Development Programme: Christarine George.