Hemas Outreach Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of the Hemas Group together with AYATI National Centre for Children with Disabilities marked International Day of Down Syndrome on March 16 at the Ayati Centre in Ragama. 

Held with the goal of raising awareness about their social movement ‘Treat All Alike’ the event also launched a new song that lends a voice to Down Syndrome children. 

‘tl fia i,luq’ is aimed at empowering children and families with Down Syndrome by providing a forum to acknowledge their rights and advocate inclusion in today’s society. 

The social movement ‘tl fia i,luq’ was created to raise awareness for Down Syndrome children, who are often overlooked in society. Believeing in an inclusive society where no child is left behind, the initiatives at Hemas Outreach Foundation focuses on achieving this goal. It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of children in Sri Lanka have some form of a disability. The Ayati Trust Sri Lanka seeks to create an inclusive society to prevent persons with disabilities from facing prejudice and a lack of access to specialised services. 

“As we mark the World Down Syndrome Day, it is critical that we all work together to break the stigma. As a company that promotes ‘healthful living,’ we look forward to making the world a more inclusive place by creating a platform for families to air their concerns and receive much-needed community support. 

“These children have special talents that needs to be recognized. We have to celebrate them and treat them as equals”, stated Shiromi Masakorala, Executive Director, AYATI Trust Sri Lanka and Hemas Outreach Foundation. 
The ceremony was graced with the presence of many special guests standing together in support of creating an inclusive world. Past Global President of Rotary International K. Ravindran attended the event as Chief Guest of the event. 

Further English, Sinhala and Tamil instructional pamphlets on Down Syndrome were handed over to the Director of Social Services, Chandana Ranaweera Arachchi, which is to be distributed to the 331 Divisional Secretariats in the country. 

Commenting on the effort, Past Global President of Rotary International, K. Ravindran who graced the occasion as chief guest stressed it is important to celebrate the carers as each circumstance has its own group of heroes who we should recognize.