A warrior's prayer

Teach me to witness in every face
The good, the kind, and not the base
Make me sincere in speech and deed
Splotch out from me deception and greed.

Give me the courage to call spade a spade
Even my whole future had to fade away
Words of commend is not what I need
But only a chance to help my creed.

Make me gallant to stand for the right
When fellow beings cease to fight
Give me a place to do what I should
When only a few are there to do what they could.

SALUTATION!!!

The ethnic conflict that lasted for more than two decades saw thousands of young men and women loosing their lives and becoming disabled to life. The fundamental need is a conceptual transformation in overall attitude of the entire community. The recognition of disabled who sacrificed their young lives to make our today and tomorrow peaceful and worthwhile living. Never fail to appreciate the sacrifices they made and its our prime duty to ensure that these heroes does not feel handicapped or neglected. They should never be deprived of the little light left with them to make it a reality. It’s time for us to ask the question whether we have raised are hand at the right moment. Lets rally around them to give them hope…Let us pay are highest gratitude by giving them courage but not with sympathy….

“If I can do this, I can do anything”(Disabled military soldiers, USA)

About Ranaviru Sevana

Sri Lanka Army had to implement a proper Rehabilitation system to protect its own members who got disabled while performing their prime duty of protecting our nation from terrorist.
Initially Sri Lanka Army established the Directorate of Rehabilitation in 1988 and under the supervision of Directorate Ranaviru Sevana the army Rehabilitation centre was established on the 10th October 1990.

Ranaviru Sevana started with a ward consisting of 25 beds, DPM section a gym, a swimming pool and an administration building construction of buildings was closely supervised to keep the natural environment of the land.
To fulfill the real requirement of Rehabilitation of disabled soldiers Ranaviru Sevana was expanded gradually. Several new departments such as orthotic and prosthetic Dept., Vocational training section, occupation and therapy unit and “Ranaviruwo” musical band were added for said expansion.
Now Ranaviru Sevana has completed its 15th year and still this Rehabilitation centre provides a better service to disable war heroes of our nation to forget their disability and to live with the able members of our society.

Roles & tasks of Ranaviru Sevana

• To provide facilities or treatment of disabilities sustained by soldiers in battle consisting of hospitalization, out patient treatment and referral to specialist.
• To provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy and training and activities of daily living.
• To supply artificial prosthesis fittings and training in their use and facilities for maintenance.
• To provide selective job placement in the army after providing suitable vocational training.
• Fabricate artificial limbs and other medical appliances and provide wheel chairs and crutches for needy soldiers.
• Counseling Services.
• Training disabled soldiers for disabled sports activities

Contact - Director Rehabilitation

Sri Lanka Army Rehabilitation Centre,

Ranaviru Sevana, Ragama

Life does not end with one episode it continues...

Indika Damith (Vijayaba Infantry Regiment)

Joined Sri Lanka Army on 15-05-1999. Whilst being involved in Kinihira operation he sustained injuries in both legs. He was transferred to palaly hospital for surgery. After treatment he was transferred to Ranaviru sevana for rehabilitation.He had been at ranaviru sevana for the last five years. Currently he is involved in sports activities such as badminton, tennis, wheel chair marathon. He is married and looking after his mother as well. He says with his wage he’s faced with financial difficulties. He says that he always believed in his disability as an ability to give him more courage to survive these dark years.
He is making a request to the public to be more concerned about disable soldiers. To give more love and care for them in the best way they can and also to look at them with an open mind and lend a hand when required. Once this spirited soldier stood out as a guardian to the entire nation. Today he has sacrificed his youth on behalf of us and is looking at life in a different angle. Let’s get together and bring light to their lives, who had already sacrificed their future for our future today.

(Please lend your ears to this brave warrior who sacrificed his today for your tomorrow)

Disability could not debar his success

Captain D. Yapa (Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment)

I joined the Sri Lanka Army in year 1995. In 1998 whilst being involved in operation Jayasikuru I got injured, and became total blind. Initially I was treated at the Colombo General hospital and subsequently tranferred to Ranaviru Sevana for rehabilitation. I was given the white cane training. Subsequently rehabilitated and trained to become a computer officer.

He is 31 years old and is the younger son of the family of two. He had excelled in sports such as 100m, 200m, and long jump in the total blind category. He had been sent to England to be trained in air riffle shooting and archery. Today his greatest expectation is to explore the modern world through computer technology. A warrior who was successful with his weapon one time has turned a new page in his life by entering into the world of technology with his courage and determination. Let this valiant officer's life be lit up with his new achievements.

His message to the nation is to"understand the disable and to be more concerned and caring." Let us rally around the differently able war heroes to make their tomorrow a success who had already sacrificed their tomorrow to brighten our today.

(Please lend your ears to this brave warrior who sacrificed his today for your tomorrow)

Every dark cloud has a silver line

W M Jayathilakabanda (Special Forces) SF

I joined the Sri Lanka Army in the year 1993. While I was involved in Riviresa-01 operation in Jaffna as a result of a gun shot injury I lost total movement of both my legs. After being admitted to the pallay hospital for one month I was subsequently moved to Colombo military hospital. Where I was treated for five months and then was transferred to Ranaviru Sevana for further treatment and rehabilitation.

During the last nine years he had turned a new page in his life. He had shown the world he is differently able by excelling in wheel chair marathon event in the disable sportsmeets in Japan and Korea all to gether on four occations and brought glamour to our motherland. He is involved in a few other sports such as table tennis, archery and riffle firing.

His ambition is to continue his newly found great ability and bring more honour to our motherland to which he had already sacrificed his youth.

His wish and pray is to stop the "bloody war" which brings a sudden halt to human life and make young able people like him disable and get them to depend on the society. He also appeals to the general public to light up their dark future with love and care but not with sympathy.

(Please lend your ears to this brave warrior who sacrificed his today for your tomorrow)

A warrior speaks to the nation

Sergent Lilarathna (Sri Lanka Army Service Crops)

I joined the Sri Lanka Army on the 08th Sep 1987. In year 2000 January I was injured at Alimankada as a result of an Artillery gun attack. I was then admitted to the Pallaly hospital and was treated for seven long months. As a result of the injury one leg was amputated, lost movement of my left leg and both hands. I was latter transferred to Ranaviru Sevana for treatment and rehabilitation. I have been here at Ranaviru Sevana for the last four years and now I've gained slight movement in my right hand.

His family consist of two sisters and one brother. He had lost his father. He has the burden of financially supporting his mother and two sisters, which he has to do with his small salary has a massive burden ahead of him, to look after the welfare of his two unmarried sisters and his ailing mother

His message to the nation is to "stop the agornising war" and to bring the much awaited peace to our mother land. His one and only wish is no more of his colleagues to join the world where he is today.

(Please lend your ears to this brave warrior who sacrificed his today for your tomorrow)

The need of the hour

The bitter truth is that policies and values are not principles that are gradually making our military personal who become first disable and then differently able. Redundant and unwanted, being considered as a burden to the organization for the society to treat them well is only a pipe dream when we betray them in reality in our own domain. A change of concept to precede a change in attitude of both the decision maker and the men who are differently able.

The need of the hour is a conceptual change of our overall attitudes, the recognition of the disable first amongst themselves, then amongst the armed forces and last not least amongst us the fellow countrymen, the bottom line of corporate social responsibility.

"ABIDE WITH ME, FAST FALLS THE EVENTIDE

THE DARKNESS DEEPNES DEEPENS LOARD; WITH ME ABIDE

WHEN OTHER HELPLESS FAILS AND COMFORTS FLEE

HELP THE HELPLESS, O ABBIDE WITH ME"

Henry Francis Lyte

1795 - 1847