Sith Sevana Mentally Handicapped Children's Development

Tanamalwila, on the road between Yala and Ella in the Sri Lankan mountains is home to the Sith Sevana Mentally Handicapped Children's Society. Sarath Lanka Perera, a former priest, gave over his home to creating a place of refuge for mentally handicapped children and young adults from the district. Sith Sevana has thrived and is now home to about 26 boys and 16 girls. Yala Fund pays all the running costs for the Boys Home, £9,000 a year, on behalf of Femto, a private family trust, and sponsors some of the girls. Sith Sevana also receives aid from two European charities, Saramanda, in Switzerland, and Adoptie Sri Lanka, in Belgium.

Yala Fund has paid for refurbishments to the Sith Sevana Boys Home, including floor tiles for hygiene and the completion of an office. Funds are currently being sought for a Vocational Training Centre to provide a place in which the children can make candles, broom bristles, greeting cards and other items for sale. This will give them a purpose and bring in extra income for Sith Sevana. Additional funding is needed for the running costs for the Girls Home.

Sith Sevana provides a sanctuary for children and young adults who would otherwise be cast out by society. The individual stories are harrowing. One girl was kept chained in a dog kennel by her stepmother while another saw her father murder her mother while high on drugs. Under the care of Mr Perera and his assistants, the children are slowly recovering from their traumas, even if their lives will never be the same.

http://www.miguel-domingues.com/saramanda/contact.php

http://www.adoptiesrilanka.be/