Who do we help?

Most of the children we helped immediately after the tsunami were children who had lost their parents and Wie helpt Stichting Weeshuis Sri Lankacould not turn to their family. These children found a safe place to stay in our Somawathi Home. But what started as an aid project for these children evolved into something that is much more than just an orphanage. Nowadays we work closely with the Sri Lankan Child Protection agency in taking on children with very diverse backgrounds. All children remain in the Somawathi Home until they are at least 18 years old. Until that moment they are in the custody of the Trust with the Somawathi Home their safe and loving home.

Children from very diverse backgrounds are assigned to the Somawathi Home by the Sri Lankan Child Protection Agency (National Child Protection Authority; NCPA) nowadays.

Per the request of and in close cooperation with the Galle office of the NCPA the Dutch Sri Lanka Orphanage Foundation raises funds to provide a safety net for children who cannot be placed in a foster home or when such a placement was unsuccessful. Only children in the age range 3 to 9 years will be taken on; for elder siblings an exception is made of course because we do not want siblings to be separated unnecessarily. We want the Somawathi Home to take on the role of parental home that they can trust and rely on.

wie helpen wij stichting weeshuis sri lankaHow long are they allowed to stay?

Every child stays in the Somawathi Home until it is at least 18 years old. Until that age all children are in the custody of the Trust with the Somawathi Home their safe and loving home. It is our ambition to prepare every child to be able to be self-sufficient when he or she is 18. However, in Sri Lankan culture it is very unusual for a girl to leave the parental home unmarried. And also the children who still pursue a study of training when they are 18 will remain ‘connected’ to the Somawathi Home in one way or the other because after all, it is their ‘parental home’. Per young adult a tailor-made solution is found.

Childcare policy

In Sri Lanka there are a couple of hundred institutions that offer a children’s home for more than 15.000 children. Poverty, abuse or unwanted pregnancies are the main reason for children ending up in such a home. In addition there are 200.000 to 300.000 children who have been abandoned because their mother for economic reason was forced to find a job in the Middle East.
The starting point of the government policy of Sri Lanka regarding orphaned or abandoned children is that they are cared for in their own community, by family or acquaintances. The demand for childcare grew as a result of the tsunami in December 2004 that destroyed many villages thereby reducing the possibilities of care for children in their own community. For some years now the Child Protection Authority has also placed non-tsunami related orphaned or abandoned children in the care of the Home. Apparently the principle of care in the own community cannot always be effectuated. It is expected that the coming decade will not see a reduction in the demand for institutional childcare in Sri Lanka.

Strict requirements for children homes in Sri LankaWIe helpt stichting weeshuis Sri Lanka

The National Child Protection Authority is the official authority in Sri Lanka that places children in children homes and which inspects these homes. These homes are subject to strict requirements that are rigorously enforced, such as:

  • preservation of the Sri Lankan culture and values;
  • based on the Buddhist way of life;
  • infrastructural requirements regarding living conditions;
  • number and quality of staff;
  • providing a bank guarantee to ensure continuity;
  • integrity of the initiators and trustees;
  • sports, games and educational facilities in accordance with Oahsa standards;
  • medical facilities;
  • en hygiene

Sri Lanka’s Child Protection Authority has awarded the Somawathi Home the A-status making it the best children’s home in the southern province. We are very proud of this status.

Make a donation

To give the children in the Somawathi Home a loving home and a safe future, we need your help! Please read how you can help us. We can assure you: your recurring donation is given directly to the children!

Wie helpt Stichting Weeshuis Sri Lanka