New home for war orphans opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 January 2003, 17:49 GMT]
A new building constructed at a cost of three million rupees to house children whose parents have been killed in the war was declared open by Mr.S.Rangaraja, Chief Secretary of the Northeast provincial Council, Sunday morning at Trincomalee- Uppuveli Sivananda Thabovanam. Presiding over the event Mr.Kuralamutham Vinayagasothy, Managing Trustee of the Thabovanam, said more than two hundred children are growing up cared for by the institution.

(L-R) Mr.Kuralamutham Vinayagasothy, Ms N. Ranjini, and Mr.S.Rangaraja at the opening ceremony

"The two buildings constructed in the Sivananda Thabovanam since the take over of the Thabovanam land from the custody of the armed forces, are used to accommodate girls. Of the two, one is used by girls studying below Grade Eight and the other by girls above Grade Eight," said Mr.Kuralamutham Vinayagasothy. The third building now opened will be for boys, he said. Most of the children are from remote villages in Trincomalee district.

Mr. Vinayagasothy further said: "Sivananda Thabovanam was founded in 1953 by Swami Sachchithananda Mathaji. Its buildings were completely destroyed in 1984 violence. From 1984 till 1998 Thabovanam lands were occupied by Sri Lanka armed forces. The lands were returned to Thabovanam management in 1998. We were able to put up a first building in 1999. We enrolled at the start about fifty children.

The newly built children home at Sivananda Thabovanam.

"The second building was constructed the following year. Now we have enrolled more than two hundred children in our homes. We still need a modern kitchen to provide meals to these children."

Mr.Rangaraja, Chief Secretary of the NEPC, and Ms N.Ranjani, Provincial Director of Social Services, also spoke. Mr.Rangaraja laid the foundation stone for the proposed kitchen building.

Sivananda Thabovanam children attend the opening of the home