Sheltered Workshop

Our outreach

The Chitra Lane Sheltered Workshop provides a caring environment for intellectually impaired young adults that graduate from the Chitra Lane School for the Special Child, as well as their mothers to learn a vocational skill and earn an income. Established in 2001, this sheltered workshop is housed within the main Chitra Lane organisation premises at 45/3, Chitra Lane, Colombo 5. Individuals with Down’s syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and those with learning difficulties, attend the Sheltered workshop. Our students are from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds with the majority from low-income families residing in and around Colombo.

Our goals

The overall goal of the Chitra Lane workshop is to create opportunities for income-generation and sheltered employment for intellectually impaired young adults. Mothers of these young adults are also encouraged to participate in the vocational training programmes so that eventually, income-generation projects can be carried out within their own homes. Having the mothers and their children working together has been an extremely therapeutic and effective process paving the way to earn a much needed family income as well as hope for the future.

Programmes & facilities

The Chitra Lane Sheltered Workshop consists of the following five vocational training units through which training is provided:

• Sewing Unit : Producing hand embroidered cushion covers, cloth bags, Baby linen; crocheting; using the sewing machine for stitching bags,   etc.

• Recycled paper Unit : Making recycled paper, greeting cards, and stationery
• Screen-printing Unit : Screen printing on fabric and paper and producing items such as visiting cards, stationery, cloth gift bags with logo      printed on and t-shirts with art prints that are created by the students of Chitra Lane.
• Cookery Unit : Making savoury pastries (short-eats), cakes, Sri Lankan rice and curries
• Housekeeping Unit : household chores and home-gardening
The products made by these young adults with special needs as well as their mothers are exquisite and are being marketed in retail shops   in Colombo. Orders are also undertaken for various items such as:
• Cloth gift bags, laundry bags, and tote bags with screen printed logos
• Hand embroidered purses, baby linen, quilts
• Food items such as savoury pastries and cakes.
• Recycled paper greeting cards
• Screen printed letterheads and visiting cards
Income received from the sale of these items is distributed amongst the participating intellectually impaired young adults and their      mothers, with a portion used for purchasing of raw materials such as fabric, thread, printing ink, screens, and ingredients for cookery items.