Dabal’s historic UK zoom music charity concert 

BY IVAN COREA
Mark Twain who visited Ceylon in 1896 once said: “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind read.” Mark Twain’s moving quote really encapsulates the ethos behind the work of a small UK charity that is doing big things - all in aid of young deaf and blind students in Sri Lanka. Where DABAL is concerned, kindness is everything. We rise by lifting others.

 Deaf and Blind Aid Lanka (Dabal) is a UK registered charity run by members of the Sri Lankan Community, reaching out to the most vulnerable sections of society. DABAL was launched in 2004 by ten friends in the United Kingdom who felt the need to rise up, stand up and be counted - they so wanted to make a difference in the lives of young deaf and blind students in the land of their birth. 

 The ten friends were: Ameera Hussein, Faisal Hussein, Beulah Mendis, the late Brian Fishburn, Freda da Silva, Vicky Thambiah, Jeyan Thambiah, Sarath Weerasinghe, Nadani Welikala and the late Priya Welikala in whose memory DABAL are organising this Zoom Charity Music Concert.

Priya Welikala was truly a compassionate leader who was a huge pillar of support for the charity and was the Treasurer, since its inception. Priya Welikala and the trustees wished to be the change they wanted to see in the world - reaching out to the poorest of the poor. The key aim and purpose of Deaf and Blind Aid Lanka is to improve the quality of life for many young students who are deaf and blind attend rural schools and struggle without adequate funding. 

 DABAL is actively seeking to enhance the provision of welfare, educational and recreational facilities of these schools and improve the facilities and infrastructure of these educational establishments. DABAL has a policy to support three schools each year and the schools are chosen by lottery at the annual general meeting of DABAL - every school has an equal chance of being chosen. DABAL, now chaired by Lionel Bandara, is supporting 16 deaf and blind schools across the island. 

 DABAL’s historic Zoom Music Concert will be held on Sunday, June 6 from 5.00 pm UK time. Tickets are priced at £10 and they can be purchased from the DABAL website: www.DABAL.org  The event ticket includes a free raffle ticket for two amazing prizes - a cricket bat signed by the Sri Lankan cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara and a cricket ball signed by the world’s greatest spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan. Among the guest speakers is the Patron of DABAL, Lord Colin Low of the House of Lords. 

Lord Low is one Great Britain’s highly respected and formidable disability campaigner who is also blind. He and his wife visited Sri Lanka and met with the Principals of deaf and blind schools supported by DABAL. The event was hosted by the British High Commissioner in Colombo. 
 The host of the zoom event on Sunday, June 6 is DJ Chami Welikala from Canada. There will be live performances by “Baby Shiromie Fernando” (Welikala), Hashani Welikala, Gayathri Patrick (soprano), Lakshmi Perera and many others. 
 

DABAL’s historic Zoom Music Concert will be held on Sunday, June 6 from 5.00 pm UK time. Tickets are priced at £10 and they can be purchased from the DABAL website: www.DABAL.org