Learning English
With tourism such a big part of Sri Lanka's economy, we believe it is important for the children and young adults to develop English speaking skills to assist with future education and job prospects. We fund girls to complete a 50 day English camp with the British Way English Academy in Sri Lanka. The camp is designed to improve all four language skills—speaking, reading, writing, and listening—while engaging in activities that enhance personality and life skills.
Morravinna Girls Orphanage
Sukitha handicapped girls home
Sukitha provides accommodation for children and adults with special needs and, in 2023, opened a vocational centre where the they handmake many different craft items like bath mats, clothing, bags, hair clips and other small items. The proceeds from sales of these items helps fund the running of the home.
As well as donations of money, Karuna Sri Lanka helps sell some of these craft items from our website and from stalls in Australia. The money from the sales is returned to Sukitha which enables them to purchase more materials.
Building projects
Some of our beneficiaries live in extremely poor-quality housing that lacks basic facilities. Our building projects are carefully planned and costed to ensure the best outcome possible. Some of the projects we have funded are: a toilet block at the home of two sisters who live with their mother and grandmother; access to running water for another girl and her family.
Safe house
Karuna Sri Lanka funds a safe house which provides refuge for young women who are too old to be in the state's care, but too young to build a prosperous life on their own. We also provide them with food and clothing, as well as funding their education expenses. The girls are mentored by a local coordinator whom we employ to be their point of contact while in the safe house and also to help them transition into independence.
Frangipani Pre-School
Frangipani Pre-School is located in a remote village near Galle, Sri Lanka. It was established following the 2004 tsunami, and provides vital early education for children from low-income families annually. Karuna Sri Lanka Inc. is supporting their efforts to provide safe facilities, quality learning and stronger community wellbeing via the '@project Frangipani' initiative. The initiative focuses on repairing infrastructure, enhancing educational resources, introducing foundational English education and strengthening nutrition and wellbeing programs.
Gintota Maya school cricket programme
Gintota Maya school, just outside of Galle, was sadly destroyed in the 2004 Tsunami. UNICEF rebuilt the school but when Karuna was introduced to Gintota in 2013, they had no cricket training facilities, proper equipment or a coach. Karuna then undertook fundraising to build new cricket nets, employ a cricket coach and provide new equipment.
Karuna continues to fund the coach and his assistant as well as supplying new and donated equipment on a regular basis.
The cricket program has been a big success with all the age groups in the school being successful in competitions and some former students even going on to play first class cricket.
Gintota College netball
As the Sri Lankan government had not provided any sporting facilities after the tsunami, Karuna funded the construction of a netball court at Gintota College as well as a netball teacher for the first 2 years. Netball equipment was donated to give the girls an opportunity to play this very popular sport. This led to meeting the sports teacher, Jayani, who is now one of our very valued co-ordinators. Jayani retired from
teaching and is now coaching at Southlands School in the Fort at Galle.
Local netball clubs in Western Australia frequently donate uniforms, netballs and large equipment bags which committee members take over when visiting. The teams are very grateful for this equipment.
Tikiri Sevana orphanage
The Tikiri Sevana orphanage located in Kandy looks after very young children from birth to 5 years old. It is a well run government orphanage where many of the children are adopted by Sri Lankan families and some overseas countries. Karuna was introduced to this orphanage by a young man who was himself adopted by an Australian couple many years ago and now lives in Tasmania. Some
of the items we have donated include food, nappies, pillows, first aid equipment and a new gas cooker.
Manacare Foundation - Hopes and Dreams Village
Joy Butler Markham, from England, opened this village in 2006 to provide education, physiotherapy, working opportunities for women in the nearby area and social care for adults living with a disability. Karuna visited Manacare in 2022 and since then we have funded an additional day of work for the physiotherapist.
It has been great to see how our funding has benefited adults and children in the area who would not be able to afford visits to a physiotherapist. One of the best achievements has been to see a child learning to take steps for the first time following many visits to Manacare.