Children's Homes

Fatima Boys Home

Postal Adress:
Welihena Kochchikade
Sri Lanka

Fatima Boys Home is located in Kochchikade outside of Negombo in Sri Lanka

On Fatima lives about 70 boys aged 5-13 years. The boys are Sinhalese, one of the nations of Sri Lanka.
All children are not orphans but may have very poor home conditions. Sometimes parents take their children home after a period of time in the orphanage. You may have found jobs, housing and new opportunities to take care of his family which is the best for all!
Some children have the police come by with. Children who are found running around the streets or been taken by police for the food they steal in an attempt to survive. These children usually have no family name and does not exist in any registers.You often never find out where the child came from, they are forever abandoned

On Fatima Boys Home, two nuns run the home. There is also a woman who cooks all the food and the two older girls who are helping to keep track of the little boys.

The day begins with a morning Mass in which children ask their morning prayer. Then it's breakfast, usually yesterday's rice and some vegetables. Then it's off to school. The school day ends at about 4pm.
After school is the afternoon Mass. Then the older guys have extra lessons in various subjects. Mathematics, English and even computer training when we purchased a computer to each of the homes. Then is it time for bath after that a late dinner. The day ends up with evening Mass and going to bed.
After we had built indoor toilets no kids have to go out into the yard if they need to visit the toilet at night.

The children do not have too much free time, there is much to do in the afternoon, the hens must be fed, the country garden is watered and cleaned, you may need to go and fetch firewood.
One can see that the children actually are happy and doing well.Much laughter, but also a lot of chores so that they feel involved.
When guys get pass 12 years, they are most often passed on to a major university like boarding school,which is also run by the church. There they keep on study and get some training with technical orientation.
Sister Superior, Sister Anita, however, plans to keep the guys who do not want to take a technical education and instead allow them to study further. Computer and English is something we try to give our help to. Then there are other courses they can read in the vicinity of the home.
By keeping the children until they get a little older, it becomes slightly wider group of children in age and not only 70 small boys from 5-13 years.

St. Mary’s Girls Home

Postal Adress:
Welihena Kochchikade
Sri Lanka

barnhem_2 At St Marys Girls Home lives about 70 girls aged 5-18 years. St Marys is located right next to Fatima Boys Home. In the middle of the children's homes is a small Tamil-school.
Just as in Fatima, the children come from very poor backgrounds. Some are orphans and others have families who can not take care of them.

At St Mary's works and lives two nuns and a cooking lady and also helps all the big girls with all aspects of the young children. Here the day also starts with morning Mass. Then it's breakfast, rice and vegetables from yesterday. Perhaps it becomes a bit more eggs in the diet now that we bought all the hens.
Then all go to school.The girls, who are Tamils - one of the nations of Sri Lanka, attending the school in the middle of the orphanages

After school, goes home in which to hold afternoon Mass.
In the afternoon there comes a English teacher to give children extra lessons.
On Saturdays there will be a teacher from Singer to learn the oldest girls basics of sewing. We have bought sewing machines, both electric and pedal-operated. There are many sewing workshop in the Colombo area, which the girls can look for jobs later on if they want. Courses in all sorts of sewing crafts, cultural dance and drama are also on the schedule in the afternoons. Then it must be showered and done various chores. Clothes should be washed and dishes be cleaned. All children have their own plate and mug with their name.

When girls are about 18-20 years it is time to leave the home. Often you move together and rent a room. It can be living up to six girls in a small room. We try to help with money for study or hire. The money taken from you "live on their own-funds" that we started with the help of sponsors.