CURRENT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
Grace Home | School Sponsorship Program | Residential Care Program | Akkarayan Tutoring Centre | Pre-School and Feeding Program | The Christmas Gift Project | Centre for Differently Abled Children |
Grace Girls*
Grace home was established in 2009 to care for 10 girls who had been abandoned in a camp for internally displaced persons, with HON facilitating sponsorship for their day-to-day needs and education. In April 2014, HON arranged for the girls to be moved from their local village school to a school offering better educational opportunities and boarding. HON continues to provide funds for this group of girls, who are progressing well in their studies.
School Sponsorship Program
We began this program in 2018 following the success of the support for the Grace Girls to be accommodated and educated in a school offering a better quality education than the one they would receive at their local village school. The program funds school and boarding fees for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as funding some extras, such as tutoring, depending on a child’s particular needs. We encourage sponsors to keep in contact with their sponsored children through HON. For more information on how to become a sponsor, contact us.
Lakshmi, 16, represented the district in netball, and wants to become a lawyer.
Residential Care Program*
This home was established in 2008 to provide care for girls from families affected by the 2004 tsunami and other disadvantages. The home provides safety and security for 15 girls currently in residence, who attend local schools and participate in community life, whose daily needs are funded by HON.
Akkarayan Tutoring Centre
This tutoring centre was built in 2016 by Rotary Burwood in partnership with the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, and facilitated by HON. It supports the education of disadvantaged children in the remote community of Akkarayan, enabling them to gain access to the same facilities and opportunities as children in more well-supported city areas. There are currently over 200 children attending the centre, which is overseen by our partners on the ground (Child Action Lanka). Children are taught English, Maths, Science, Computers, Languages and Social Studies. HON provides ongoing support to fund teaching staff, resources and maintenance of the centre.
The operation of this centre was interrupted by COVID from 2020 to June 2022 and was re-opened in July 2022.
Pre-school and Day Care Centre*
The centre is located in Angulana, in the southern outskirts of Colombo. It caters to approximately 60 children of shanty-dwellers in the vicinity. The children are given two meals as part of the program. The centre provides pre-school education as well as after-school care to primary school ‘graduates’ of the centre. The aim of the program is to encourage learning and prepare children and families for the discipline of attending school daily, as they come from backgrounds in which this is not the norm. It also ensures that young children are in a safe environment during the day so that their parents can earn a daily wage.
The Christmas Gift Project
This project began 20 years ago in 1994 with 20 gifts for children in 1 orphanage in Sri Lanka. HON has continued to provide gifts at Christmas every year to an increasing number of children, now reaching approximately 3,500 children in orphanages around the country. The program sends gifts to orphanages irrespective of the recipient's race or religion. This project is separately funded by in-kind and financial donations by individuals and organisations while the shipping costs are underwritten by the Christian City Church Carlingford. The project is currently paused since gifts could not be sent internationally or distributed locally due to the global pandemic and the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
Centre for Differently Abled Children
The Centre for Differently Abled Children was started in March 2021 to look after and improve the wellbeing of differently abled children in the Kandy District. The centre provides day care facilities for 20 children aged 5 -18 years, allowing their parents to go to work and providing the children with age- and capacity- appropriate educational training and life skills. The children are cared for with the help of a rehabilitation specialist. HON's contribution to the funding of the centre commenced in July 2022.
*Some identifying information regarding the homes has been witheld for the protection of our children. If you would like more detailed information about these projects, please contact us.