President Maithripala Sirisena emphasized that all should fulfill their collective responsibilities to build a safe country for the children; our nation's future.

‘The government is committed to ensure the protection of the children as well as to provide better education for them’, the President said, addressing the Polonnaruwa District Conference of Daruwan Surakimu (Let’s Protect Our Children) National Programme, held at the Polonnaruwa Royal College yesterday.

The program is carried out by the Presidential Secretariat in keeping with a concept of the President to build a better environment for the physical and mental growth of the children and to protect them. Save children from various menaces in society, prevent child abuse, ensure the protection of children, enhance of their good health condition, nutrition and welfare, personality development, develop their education and life skills are among the objectives of this program.

Addressing the Conference, the President further emphasized that the all society including school, road and home should be a safe place for the children. The adults should provide protection for the children while understanding their behaviours properly and instead of taking decisions looking at the surface, they must examine the mental, physical and social issues faced by children, the President added.

The President said the government’s objective is to implement Daruwan Surakimu National Program island-wide and Rs. 5240 million has been allocated for three years for this purpose. “I believe all government officers will act with responsibility to make this program successful”, he said and added a team consist of lawyers will be deployed island-wide to educate children in school and rural areas about the general law in the country and the laws to protect child rights.

The book ‘Daruwane Obava Surakinna’ published by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs was presented to the President at this occasion.

At this ceremony several programmes were launched. They include the modernization and reconstruction of 05 Children’s Home in the relevant district, distribution of reverse osmosis water purification systems to 20 schools which lacks clean drinking water facilities, with the aim of preventing the spread of chronic kidney disease among the children, under the Sustainable School Programme a provision of Rs.50,000 were given to selected 381 schools, providing equipment such as wheel chairs, canes, spectacles for differently-abled children, development of selected 45 Montessori and distribution of schools bags among 1,000 school children.

Former Chief Minister of North-Central Province Peshala Jayarathne, Ministry Secretaries, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Rohana Keerthi Dissanayake and the Principal of Polonnaruwa Royal College Ravilal Vijayawansha were among those participated in this occasion.