“Senasili Suwaya” Counseling Program on Suicide Prevention.

The suicide rate is Sri Lanka has become the 4th highest in the world according to some published information in the past. Social and family disputes, braking of love affaires have influenced this situation. The unrest amongst the youth and the inability of providing for children by parents due to poverty has taken the center stage in this catastrophe.

This program is led by a team of ladies and gentlemen in the Foundation who are in the medical profession. First, leaders at regional level have been identified and they are strengthen with a proper training to identify who are in a state of mind to commit suicide.

There is a mechanism to coordinate with them around the clock and the moment someone is identified, they need to bring that person for a face to face meting or connect with them through any other way. Initially bringing their mental stress down by providing immediate relief and then build their stability on the long term basis is a truly complex process.

Mentioning about building the hopes of a mother through this process should provide a clear picture on this project.

This program is led by a team of ladies and gentlemen in the Foundation who are in the medical profession. First, leaders at regional level have been identified and they are strengthen with a proper training to identify who are in a state of mind to commit suicide.

There is a mechanism to coordinate with them around the clock and the moment someone is identified, they need to bring that person for a face to face meting or connect with them through any other way. Initially bringing their mental stress down by providing immediate relief and then build their stability on the long term basis is a truly complex process.

Mentioning about building the hopes of a mother through this process should provide a clear picture on this project.

One of the observers in these projects hears a mother from Klutara, Agalawatte areas mentioning to someone that she was feeling like poisoning her 3 children and committing suicide.  This was communicated to one of the lady doctors in the project immediately in the evening of the same day. Then she instantly got that mother on line through the telephone of that observer and started a long discussion. Without stopping with that, she physically visited her and met in the same night and culminated hopes of a future for her and the 3 children. That mother who was taking care of the 3 children without her husband was truly contemplating to commit suicide.

Making her mentally strong to face the future and ensuring a way of a steady income were the only two points needed to inculcate hopes within her to live. As she was good at sewing, all she requested was a sewing machine and a sum of Rs.5000 to buy initial stock of cloths and threads. Dharma Vijaya Foundation donated her a sewing machine and Rs.10,000 to buy her initial sewing needs. When the Chief Monk of the temple was educated, it was arranged for some shops in the town to stock her products. The business developed. Then she started to manufacture cosmetic candles and incense sticks. After a few years, she became a small entrepreneur who distributed own products using her own 3 Wheeler. She is full of praise to the Dharma Vijaya Foundation for protecting her life and her children.

To develop this program, a trained team equipped with adequate communication facilities is needed to achieve the objectives which needs funds. If contributions are received from those who corporate with the Foundation, this can be further developed saving many human lives by establishing a Fund. As there is a need to have a well-trained educated team, the young members of Dharma Vijaya Societies and the teachers in Dhamma Schools can be developed for this purpose. Suicide rates can be reduced by an efficient network and the Dharma Vijaya Foundation has the strength to execute this effectively. This is much easier as there is a team of previous Scholarship holders who were medical students then but now servicing as medical doctors across the country.