The Carmel Home

The children’s home in Wanathamulla was originally the dream of Sr Fatimanayaki. But she was only able to raise sufficient funds to build the base foundations in the grounds of the Carmelite Convent. The trustees quickly recognised that there was a material need to finish the building but also to provide further facilities for the underprivileged children by building an educational centre and providing a playground.

The home admits girls between the ages of 8 and 18. The children either have no parents or parents unable or unwilling to look after them. We take children from all parts of the country and there is a good ethnic mix between Tamils and Sinhalese. We provide the children with accommodation, food and education, moral and spiritual values. Sister Marietta currently runs the home, ably assisted by four full time employees and some of the other Sisters . A number of the girls have had very difficult backgrounds full of anguish and sorrow and it is wonderful to see the difference that originally Sister Navodini ( the previous Sister in Charge ) and then Sister Marietta makes to the children by giving them love, security and discipline.

The Home has three main dormitories, three smaller rooms for older children, two rooms for the Sisters who run the home as well a room for the staff who work in the home. Every child has a bed, wardrobe, desk and locker. We have facilities to provide the children with 3 meals a day and the food is cooked within the Home.

Great focus is placed on education and additional tuition is provided if the children are having difficulties in certain subjects. While we have a computer room it still needs to be fully fitted out with computers and teaching equipment. It is our aim for this to be completed during 2019 .We intend to provide the girls with a skill set that enables them to get a job after they leave education, consequently we are providing further English, Maths and Computing lessons. We would like to send our children on to further education wherever appropriate and help them fulfil their potential.

Focus is also placed on the girls developing their sporting skills and the newly constructed playground will be also used for netball, badminton, volleyball and cricket . However we still need to generate more funds to make this happen.

We currently have a number of children who are prize winners at school from both an academic and sporting perspective. We are very proud of what they have achieved.