Caroline de Bono

In May we undertook important building and renovation works to upgrade the sanitary facilities at a home for disabled boys and young men in the Polonnaruwa area.  This is a home which we have supported from time to time in the past with donations of food and living essentials.  On a visit in the New Year we could see that the sanitary facilities were in a poor state with the 40 boys and young men sharing one indoor toilet because the others were broken.  They were also having to make do with a single shower for everyone.

We found a contractor to undertake the installation of a new shower and toilet block. We paid for the project and Suminda from the Brighter Path team oversaw the works. We are very pleased with the outcome. There are now three showers and three toilets. This is making an incomparable difference to the dignity and welfare of those living in this home.

Brighter Path provides regular support to the Vishaka Training Centre in Bandarawella.  This is a home for young girls in the care system who have been unable to remain in mainstream education. They are taught sewing and dressmaking skills which give the girls the chance to find skilled employment.  We were asked whether we would sponsor the girls’ uniform and were pleased to be able to provide a set of three polo shirts for each of the 40 students.  These are young people with few possessions and this girls’ home does not have the resources to clothe its students adequately during their training program. We are pleased to continue our work with Vishaka and follow the progress of the young girls.

In April 2024 we were pleased to donate 50m² of play flooring to the Sujatha Sewana babies’ home in Bandarawella.  This centre looks after newborn babies and toddlers who have been given up at birth or cannot be looked after by their mothers. It is run efficiently and lovingly by dedicated and caring staff from the Department of Child Care and Probation Services but resources are very scarce and facilities are basic.  Bandarawella is in the mountains and the buildings have no heating.  We were asked whether we might be able to help with flooring. Babies and toddlers are crawling and learning to walk on hard stone floors which become very cold, especially in the evening and early morning. The colourful play flooring is made of soft foam and locks together like jigsaw pieces.  We are always on the look out for small interventions that can make a big difference and this will really impact the daily life of the young children at Sujatha Sewana.

Some of the Brighter Path girls enjoyed a day of jewellery making with Caroline, our founder, and Kalpani, the girls’ coordinator. The girls loved getting creative and learning some new skills. They were delighted to see what they could achieve in just one day. They came up with some beautiful designs. The activity was fun and relaxing. It provided the girls with some mindful and quiet time as they were very absorbed in the moment. There was also lots of chatting over tea and biscuits. The activity provided a relaxed, creative and supportive space. The girls produced some beautiful pieces which they could then keep for themselves. A huge success all round!

Last week some of our younger boy care leavers enjoyed an outing to the South Coast. At Brighter Path we try to organise regular trips, outings or fun activities so that care leavers can enjoy, like so many others, a ‘day off’. It is also a good opportunity for them to visit places they have never been to and to have new experiences which were not available to them growing up in children’s homes.

The boys were accompanied by the Brighter Path general manager, Nishantha, and the boys’ coordinator Dhammika. They enjoyed a fun trip to Unawatuna beach where they splashed around in the ocean, played volleyball and ate a delicious lunch. Later they enjoyed Galle Fort’s ramparts and walking around this historic town.

In March we moved our main boys’ transition home to new premises in Colombo. The lease on our previous premises came to an end and this was the perfect opportunity to upgrade our boys’ facilities. The new premises are well located with good transport connections. The building is light and airy and surrounded by trees.  It has a real sense of being a haven which for our purposes is perfect.

The Brighter Path team oversaw the move and settled everyone in.  The boys were a great help and immediately set about making the new house their home. It was the cat who took the most time to adjust but he is now happily settled in along with everyone else.

Following the establishment of a partnership between Brighter Path and the sewing school of the Vishaka Training Centre in Bandarawella it was good to return to see how the girls were getting on.  The Training Centre is a home for young girls in the care system who have been unable to remain in mainstream education. They are taught how to sew and make clothes, giving them essential skills which they are able to use to obtain employment.  We were met by Commissioner Nadeesha Chathurangani of the Uva Province probation department who has overall responsibility for the Training Centre and its resident. The girls showcased their work and gave a demonstration of newly acquired skills on the sewing machines. We brought with us more supplies for the sewing school. We were delighted with our visit and pleased to see the positive impact that our support is making.

In January 2024 Brighter Path donated much needed sports equipment and games to a boys certified Home in the Kappetipola area. This home is a borstal or youth detention centre for ‘young offenders’. The 40 or so boys who live here, aged 11 -18 are living in a strict environment where there is little time for recreation. They learn vocational skills and work tending an area of land for fruit and vegetables but did not have any sports equipment at all. The cricket, volleyball, football and badminton equipment was very gratefully and excitedly received by both the boys and the provincial probation department that oversees this home. Team sports, exercise as well as fun and laughter are crucial for the boys who are growing and developing physically and emotionally. With this donation of sports equipment  Brighter Path also  donated ‘Carrom’ boards and other games.