We are pleased to support Hikkaduwa certified school, a care home/school set in 14 acres of land overlooking a lake on the outskirts of Hikkaduwa, south-west Sri Lanka. The photos show a model of the school buildings and a typical school building.

The school is controlled by the regional Probation Department and cares for children between the ages of six and eighteen. The children are either destitute (including street children), deprived of parental care or are juvenile delinquents. In Sri Lanka, "juvenile delinquent" includes a child who has stolen one coconut to eat, it does not have the same meaning as in the UK. In January 2007, there were 41 children registered at the school; all the children are placed there by the courts, with juvenile delinquents receiving a three-year term at the school. The school is non-religious and observes the main festivals of the religions in Sri Lanka (predominantly Buddhist and Hindu).

The photos show some of the children with Phill and Anne Morton and vegetable plots being prepared for planting.

The school management committee is led by Phill Morton, Anne Morton and Sara Felton. The management committee has the full support of the Minister for Health, Social Welfare, Probation and Childcare for the Southern Province. Over recent years the management committee have instituted a programme of improvements to school buildings and employing experienced staff. For example, only two years ago there was simply not enough money to provide mosquito nets for any of the boys' beds. This made sleeping near a lake extremely difficult and, of course, unhealthy. Now, individual mosquito nets are provided for each boy. The committee is only able to do this with funding provided from many different sources.

The photos show a newly-built cow shed and goat pens.

There are 21 members of staff, working on a shift system. During the day, four to eight members of staff are on duty; while at night, up to three members of staff are on duty.

When it is time for a child to leave the school, efforts are made to reunite them with their parents or other family members. For the older children, the school attempts to find employment based on the vocational training skills they receive at the school. These skills including carpentry, welding, masonry and agriculture, and are intended to give them the ability to earn a living. As part of the agricultural training, the school maintains a farm where the children grow vegetables and look after cows and goats.

December 2006, we donated money for new tee-shirts and a seasonal barbecue.

Do you want to know more about Hikkaduwa school? Contact us. We are easy to talk to.