• Used CR book collection campaign ends on 31 January

January is named ‘National Braille Literacy Awareness Month’ and World Braille Day is marked on 4 January, in memory of Louis Braille – the French inventor who developed the tactile system of reading and writing by touch. 

Today, many people who are visually impaired make use of the Braille alphabet to continue their studies, communicate, and interact with the world, overcoming their impairments.

“As stationery prices kept increasing over the past two years, schools for the blind across the country faced challenges in sourcing the necessary paper for the students in schools, universities, and technical colleges. Recognising this need, I proposed the idea of collecting used CR books to be repurposed for use by children with visual impairments for Braille writing,” Geometry Global Ltd. (Ogilvy Group) Creative Group Head Nadeera Darshana Warawita told The Sunday Morning.

His idea was wholly supported by the company, with the team working on it soon fleshing it out. It was then presented to well-known stationery manufacturer ProMate Sri Lanka, which came on board for the campaign and used its wide branch network as collection points. 

“The number of words that can be written on one CR page takes up four CR pages in Braille, so there was a dire need to help schools for the blind by providing books, especially given the ongoing economic crisis,” added Warawita.

Heartwarming campaign

An audiovisual campaign was then launched with a heartwarming message on how families traditionally often hand down toys, clothes, and any other equipment from older to younger children. 

Mid-video, the younger child explains how he should have a say when his parents are selecting these items for the eldest child, since he ends up using them eventually. 

The twist to the tale comes when the younger child then goes on to explain how, when it comes to his exercise books, he uses them carefully because his older brother, who is visually impaired, will be using them afterwards and that he loves to see his brother write in these repurposed books.

The video then depicts a visually-impaired child using a slate writing with a stylus on a CR book that the younger child had used.

Volunteers step in

While the campaign took shape across social media platforms, Volunteer Sri Lanka, a charitable organisation founded by Pramila Silva, stepped in to improve the collection points.

“I contacted ProMate and suggested that our network of volunteers would widen the reach of this campaign, providing the opportunity for Sri Lankans across the island to donate used CR books for the cause. ProMate collected books through its branch network based in Colombo and suburbs that are mainly in Colombo District, while we were able to collect books via our network of volunteers in Polonnaruwa, Kandy, and Kalutara. In addition to that we have also allowed donors to courier the books to us,” Silva explained.

Silva also noted that the collection of these used CR books would end by 31 January, leaving the volunteers enough time to hand over the collected items to the campaign lead by the first week of February.

“We are told that at least 14 schools will benefit from this initiative, which we see as a great opportunity for the country to help with the challenges that the visually-impaired community is facing,” Silva opined.

Drop-off points

Used CR books can be dropped off at ProMate branches located at Racecourse, Pita Kotte, Battaramulla, Kohuwala, and Maradana.

Those who are in the Central Province can drop off CR books at City Mission Manna Café in Kandy or at the Technical College in Aruppola. More information on where to drop off the books can be obtained through 0715294000 (Thevinu).

Those who wish to send books through post can send them to Pramila Silva, Volunteer SL Foundation (Guarantee) Ltd., No. 3, Welfare Road, Kalutara North. Contact Volunteer Sri Lanka members Pramila Silva on 0717811711 or Danidu Haripriya on 0779290042 for further information.

A different requirement

The Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind located in Ratmalana is the most renowned school in Sri Lanka for auditory- and visually-impaired persons. The Sunday Morning contacted School for the Blind Principal Nelumnika Perera on how paper repurposed for the students at their institution was used.

“Our school has a very unique requirement and when I was approached by the company that is executing this campaign of collecting used CR books, I explained that it will not be of any use to our students, as our school can only use A4-sized paper that has printing or writing only on one side.

“We use a Braille writer which is similar to a typewriter, which the students use to make notes during school. For this purpose, we gather used A4 sheets which are printed only on one side. Then we fix two sheets together to achieve the necessary thickness. When the students type in Braille, the paper is punctuated with the sentences, which they can then read.”

Perera also noted that once the students had written the notes in Braille, the teachers could easily evaluate their work when the page had no writing or prints on it. 

“However, students using a slate to punctuate in Braille can use the CR books that are being collected via this campaign. I instructed them that they would have to paste at least four pages together in order to be able to efficiently use the books.”

Perera also requested that companies or organisations looking to discard A4 sheets with printing on only one side could donate them to the Ceylon School for the Deaf and Blind through the RDC Donations office located at 521, Galle Road, Ratmalana. Interested parties can contact them through email: hearsee@sltnet.lk or by telephone: 0112611338 or 012625204.