Can you imagine what it’s like for a child to be away from their family at Christmas? A child removed from an abusive home environment naturally feels very isolated. At this joyous time of year, these children truly miss being with family and friends and enjoy all that goes with the holiday season.
The Rotary Club of Kurunegala and the Rotaract Club of Kurunegala took up the mission to be their hope and lift their spirits this holiday season. The House of Light is a non-profit community organization in Melsiripura, Sri Lanka. The organization’s main concept is to conduct a children’s home and provide temporary shelter and protection within a model big family. The home is offered for children involved with various types of problems and for children separated from their families. By understanding the child’s mind, more efforts are taken than the established orphanage concept.
Since 2003, House of Light’s mission has focused on caring for children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected. And while it is better that these children are out of that unsafe environment, they still miss that feeling of family. During this season of their life, we became their family, and with collective support, we succeeded in making it a truly memorable Christmas.
Project Yuthukama Phase 5 brought into reality the simple dreams of the young hearts on 18th December 2022. We were able to share a Christmas meal with 43 kids as well as the home authorities and witness the joy and happiness in a wonderful deed. The children received a bag of goodies while joining a sing-song session with their favorite tunes. Moreover, we spared time for their favorite games. Their much-loved game of Carrom took an interesting spin to the day as they showcased their skills and moves. The Cricket session brought many thrills to the day as we Rotaractors distributed ourselves into teams and participated in a six-over game of Cricket. Through the collective effort of our Rotaractors, we were able to strengthen their passion for the games by donating Carrom Discs, Tennis balls, and Card Packs.
The Children’s Home is the loving family they so desperately needed, and isn’t that what we all want? To be cared for and loved? In addition to making their Christmas joyous, we were able to make an impact on their lives through this initiative.
They continue to depend on the generosity of individuals like us. It is your support that gives hope to more than 40 children currently in care this holiday season. Hope you consider gifting them this season of giving!
Penned by
Rtr. Kenuri Costa
Rotaract Club of Kurunegala
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