Child focused activities in Sri Lanka

Children are the human capital of the future. Recognising the importance of supporting the growth and development of children, it is imminent that a national plan of action for children of Sri Lanka is formulated. An analysis of child focused activities undertaken at present in the country could invariably provide useful guidance in formulating such a plan of action for children. The paper attempts to review the-nature of child focused activities and the problems encountered in the implementation of relevant programmes. Further an attempt is made to review the nature of the programmes conducted for parents. The data is obtained from a survey conducted during March to May 2000, on a sample of organisations engaged in child focused activities in Sri Lanka. The findings reveal that child focused activities of a diverse nature contribute to the survival, protection, care and development of children in Sri Lanka during their growing years. The absence of a live network facilitating relationships among the organisations involved in child focused activities is highlighted in the study and it is observed that this tends to limit the possibilities of moving towards intergrated programming.