Bicycles donated by UK charities to children in Jaffna and Vanni

A UK based charity called Margaret Carey Foundation (MCF) collects used bicycles and refurbishes them in a rehabilitation program in the UK, where MCF provide hands-on experience on repairs of bicycles. Another charity called PhysioNet are then responsible for storing and distributing them to the needy. MCF and PhysioNet agreed to assist the needy children in Sri Lanka and collected nearly 200 bicycles for this purpose. PhysioNet then arranged the shipment of these bicycles in early September in a 20’ container, which had room for 176 bicycles. It arrived in Colombo on 3rd October and reached Jaffna last Wednesday (15/11). The finance ministry gave us duty exempt for these bicycles. All 176 bicycles were handed over to Mr N Vethanayagan, Government Agent (GA) and District Secretary of Jaffna District, who will donate these bicycles to needy school children in Jaffna and Vanni. Assist RR would like to express its gratitude to the Diaspora Tamil, who made the connection but wants to remain anonymous, PhysioNet and Margaret Carey Foundation for arranging 176 bicycles to be donated to needy children in Sri Lanka. It also would like to thank Mr Sivagnanasothy, Secretary of Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation for providing funds to meet the local costs incurred in receiving the bicycles and Jaffna GA Mr Vethanayagan, and Mr Sriranhan, ADP, District Secretariat, Jaffna for their hard work in making this happened.