The vision of establishing SOS Children’s Villages in Sri Lanka turned into a reality in 1979 when former Head of the Child Secretariat Malsiri Dias wrote a letter of inquiry regarding the need to build the villages in Sri Lanka. Following an assessment visit by former Deputy Secretary General and Delegate for Asia, and current Honorary President of SOS Children’s Villages International Helmet Kutin, the very first SOS Children’s Village in Sri Lanka opened its doors to children in Piliyandala in 1981.
Today, there are six SOS Children’s Villages – in Piliyandala, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, Anuradhapura, Moneragala, and Jaffna – providing the best alternative care for children who have lost parental care due to various reasons including, but not limited to financial instability, family breakdown, psycho-social factors, poverty.
SOS Children’s villages uses a unique holistic care model known as ‘Family Like Care’ to offer children a loving home, a caring mother, supportive siblings, and a safe community to grow up in.
Throughout its 40-year journey, SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka had contributed immensely to the Sri Lankan community with over 50,000 persons who have been positively impacted through a range of social programs.
Kindergartens
Early childhood education is a critical part in shaping a child’s life. SOS Kindergartens provide free pre-school education to children in the village and the community who are from poverty-stricken families. These kindergartens also give an opportunity for children at SOS to mingle and build strong relationships with the children from surrounding communities.
To date, SOS Kindergartens have prepared over 8,200 young minds for school.
Hermann Gmeigner School
The Hermann Gmeigner School was built on the land donated by the Government in 1985. Managed by the Ministry of Education in partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka, the school has a capacity of 1,000 students and has provided free education for children and youth to have a better future.
Over 27,335 children completed their education at the SOS Hermann Gmeigner School.
Youth care
When children in SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka grow up and reach adolescence, they are sent to SOS Youth Homes which are either within the children’s village or close to it. Guided by specialised SOS staff, these youth are trained with skills and qualities needed to become independent and successful adults. These homes also provide specialised youth counselling programs to address the psychological, emotional, and social needs which all youngsters typically go through during this age.
Over 1,400 youth have been successfully integrated into society through the SOS Youth Homes.
Vocational Training Centres
SOS Vocational Training Centres in Sri Lanka provide free vocational training for youth of poverty-stricken families who are unable to pave themselves a suitable career path. The training centres will help youth become equipped with a vocational skill, which will allow them to support their families by seeking employment or being self-employed. There are four SOS Vocational Training Centres in Moneragala, Malpotha, Jaffna, and Anuradhapura.
Over 2,170 young people have built successful careers for themselves through the SOS Vocational Training Centres.
Keeping families together
The SOS Family Strengthening program identifies poverty-stricken families in the community, in which children face the risk of losing their parental care due to the destitute situation of such families. These families are then enrolled into a five-year program in which they are taught various skills and offered knowledge to help manage their families and rise out of poverty. Once enrolled, all costs of education of children in these families are borne by SOS Children’s Villages throughout the five years.
Over 2,700 families in the country have bettered their lives and the lives of their children through the nine SOS Family Strengthening Centres. As a result, nearly 8,000 children from these families have been saved from a potentially bleak future if not for the intervention of SOS.