I have been regularly attending the Cleft Lip and Palate community service program. As mentioned before, this year my aim is to help the transition of the new members into the service program. In the process i would also like to be involved in a little bit more service for the kids with the Cleft Lip and Palate disease. On Thursday's when we meet, we discuss the ways in which we can go about helping these children. We had a great fundraiser, our "battle of the bands" concert, now it is time to take the next step: what is the group going to do in the future and how can we currently spread more awareness about this issue. The Cleft Lip and Palate disease is a global issue. Even though i will be done with Community Service by the end of next month, i do not want to abandon my efforts to help the children with the disease. Last year, as part of our program, we visited one of the hospitals, we did the same this year. Seeing these little helpless kids who have this disease which can cause such discomforts and eventually even lead to death is a very emotional sight. Being in Sri Lanka, i would like to be able to help the cause of helping these kids, giving something back to the community and also knowing that i have done something to save the life of an Innocent infant.
Last month, we again visited the hospital. Just like last year, it was a very emotional sight to see these infants, some of them as young as 8 days old. Being in the hospital ward made me really consider the ethical implications of my actions. Even though i feel strongly about the issue and would like to help the cause, is it ethical for me to be looking at these kids in a hospital ward as if they were a museum attraction? Being as young as they are, it is extremely perilous for people to be near these kids as they could catch even the slightest diseases which their immune system would not be able to withstand. Also, i doubt the parents of these kids would appreciate others looking at their babies like that. Since i did not feel it was ethical of me, i did not photograph any of the children as i feel that is something neither the parents of the children want, nor something that helps me in any way. The eerie feeling of being in the ward with the infants for a few seconds however was enough to further reinforce my desire to do something for them.
Later we met the doctor who treats these infants, Dr Romesh Gunasekera. He revealed his gratitude at our efforts to raise money for the operations for the kids. He also outlined some of the areas where we should be focusing our efforts in the future. The first step he said is to spread further awareness of the issue. He then also recommended we make some kind of brochure which can then be advertised, so that more people become aware of this issue. His ideas and recommendations are exactly the sort of thing we are planning to do this year. Awareness is a very important step. The concert last year, apart from raising the money for the operations for the kids, raised an immense amount of awareness as the story was even published in newspapers. This year it is important for us to help spread awareness. The first step we are planning to take is, to create a power point and a brochure as the doctor recommended. Visuals are always important when other people need to be convinced to help some cause. Just as visiting the hospital was important for me in having a view of this issue first hand, creating brochures and a power point will help spread awareness and make people who have no idea what the disease is, fully understand the extent of the issue.
As mentioned before it is important that we go about this task as a group. Collaboration and team work helped us achieve success through our concert, we do the same now. We have divided the group into four groups of four, each of which will be working on either a power point or a brochure. Collaboration makes it easier for the task to be completed so each member in the group will take responsibility for one aspect of the task in question. Collaboration also helps in new ideas and approaches being suggested. Every week during our discussions it is interesting and informative to discover the views of different people when they go about finding a solution or make suggestions for the group.
I plan on continuing all the efforts i have made for the group in the past. I have been with this group for around a year and it has really helped me interact with a global issue which concerns the local community. It is important that there are others who also care about the same problem, with whom i can collaboratively work in order to help the cause.
Last month, we again visited the hospital. Just like last year, it was a very emotional sight to see these infants, some of them as young as 8 days old. Being in the hospital ward made me really consider the ethical implications of my actions. Even though i feel strongly about the issue and would like to help the cause, is it ethical for me to be looking at these kids in a hospital ward as if they were a museum attraction? Being as young as they are, it is extremely perilous for people to be near these kids as they could catch even the slightest diseases which their immune system would not be able to withstand. Also, i doubt the parents of these kids would appreciate others looking at their babies like that. Since i did not feel it was ethical of me, i did not photograph any of the children as i feel that is something neither the parents of the children want, nor something that helps me in any way. The eerie feeling of being in the ward with the infants for a few seconds however was enough to further reinforce my desire to do something for them.
Later we met the doctor who treats these infants, Dr Romesh Gunasekera. He revealed his gratitude at our efforts to raise money for the operations for the kids. He also outlined some of the areas where we should be focusing our efforts in the future. The first step he said is to spread further awareness of the issue. He then also recommended we make some kind of brochure which can then be advertised, so that more people become aware of this issue. His ideas and recommendations are exactly the sort of thing we are planning to do this year. Awareness is a very important step. The concert last year, apart from raising the money for the operations for the kids, raised an immense amount of awareness as the story was even published in newspapers. This year it is important for us to help spread awareness. The first step we are planning to take is, to create a power point and a brochure as the doctor recommended. Visuals are always important when other people need to be convinced to help some cause. Just as visiting the hospital was important for me in having a view of this issue first hand, creating brochures and a power point will help spread awareness and make people who have no idea what the disease is, fully understand the extent of the issue.
As mentioned before it is important that we go about this task as a group. Collaboration and team work helped us achieve success through our concert, we do the same now. We have divided the group into four groups of four, each of which will be working on either a power point or a brochure. Collaboration makes it easier for the task to be completed so each member in the group will take responsibility for one aspect of the task in question. Collaboration also helps in new ideas and approaches being suggested. Every week during our discussions it is interesting and informative to discover the views of different people when they go about finding a solution or make suggestions for the group.
I plan on continuing all the efforts i have made for the group in the past. I have been with this group for around a year and it has really helped me interact with a global issue which concerns the local community. It is important that there are others who also care about the same problem, with whom i can collaboratively work in order to help the cause.
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