‘Punitha Boomi’ Celebrates 10th Anniversary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 October 2002, 20:25 GMT]
'Punitha Boomi', a boys’ home operating from Oddusuddan in the Vanni region, Saturday celebrated its 10th anniversary. The occasion was also marked by the ceremonial opening of four new halls of residence, a cultural centre, a medical house and an administrative office.

Punitha Boomi (Holy Land) is run by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) with financial assistance received from TRO, USA. The home supports 125 boys aged between 5 and 18. The boys accepted at Punitha Boomi are generally orphaned, from single parent families or families living under extreme poverty.

TRO’s executive director Mr. K P Regi, declared opened the new buildings.

Mr. Anjalan, the coordinator at this house said today that Punitha Boomi had earlier operated from Oddusuddan until December 1998. The children resident there were forced to flee the home during the Rivibala military operations in December 1998 and regroup in Puthukudiyiruppu. In March this year, the boys were moved back to its current location. The only boys’ home in Mullaitivu district, Punitha Boomi cared for up to 225 boys during the time of intense conflict.

The new building and structures opened today have been reconstructed at the expense of approximately 10 million rupees. Further construction of a study room, a vocational training workshop and a playground are planned within the next six months. The estimated cost of these new facilities is 4.3 million rupees. Furniture, beds, musical instruments and transport vehicles are estimated to cost a further 3.8 million rupees.

TRO’s executive director Mr. K P Regi, who opened the new buildings today said, “Although the ideal environment for a growing child is its own home, under extreme conditions such as war and poverty, such children’s homes provide the next best alternative with safe and loving surroundings”. TRO’s new initiatives to encourage a savings practice amongst parents and affording families with loans to establish self employment opportunities, he said, would enable families to gain the economic capacity to care for these children in their own homes.

TRO runs five other homes in Kilinochchi and Puthukudiyiruppu caring for over 1,100 children, both boys and girls.