LEADS of Sri Lanka
LEADS is Oxford Psychometrics' main Charity. Following on from the Psychology in the Community work we have been doing in Sri Lanka over several decades, I was invited to be their Goodwill Ambassador in November 2020.
Briefly, LEADS began work back in 1979 as a relief agency, in response to the disaster caused by the cyclone in the East coast of Sri Lanka.
By 1983, LEADS established partnerships with other like-minded national & international organizations (such as Save the Children and OXFAM) to develop and implement programmes that aim to alleviate human suffering and promote wholeness amongst communities in Sri Lanka, and in 1985, received charity status through act of Parliament and was registered as an NGO.
Today, LEADS work with vulnerable and abused children in their communities across thirteen districts in Sri Lanka. ESCAPE (Eradicating Sexual Child Abuse Prostitution and Exploitation), is a special child protection unit set by by LEADS in 1995, in direct response to the threat of paedophiles using Sri Lanka as a base. Today, ESCAPE touches and transforms the lives of at least 400 individuals and their families through the family therapy & services projects across the island.
LEADS is unique in the wholistic approach towards vulnerable children in Sri Lanka, providing a range of support from emotional to legal services. It runs the only government registered safe house for the therapeutic counselling of children as a model that is linked with the Judicial system and 90% of the referrals are through the courts or the National & Provincial Probation and child care services. LEADS routinely conducts awareness programs on the Prevention of Child Abuse to staff of child care homes, pre-school teachers, children, parents and care givers and produces various educational resources for this sector.
The invaluable work undertaken by LEADS is funded almost wholly by public donations and Oxford Psychometrics is proud to be supporting their efforts.
"Every child deserves a fair chance in life to feel safe and secure, to be loved unconditionally and to receive an education that helps them secure a future for themselves and their families."
Dr.Chintha Dissanayake
Goodwill Ambassador to LEADS (2020)
LEADS Financial reports are verified by the following audit firms.
External Auditor: PricewaterHouseCoopers
Internal Auditor: KPMG
Project Auditor: Ernst & Young
Be the GIFT - Fundraise programme
Hundreds of children of vulnerable families around Sri Lanka, unable to provide school supplies for their children due to loss of income in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, received school stationary bags and shoes in 2021 thanks to the generous donations of so many kind people.