News

On the last Saturday in June we were very proud that one of our care leavers, Rangani, was ‘capped’ as a nurse.  This is an old nursing tradition where student …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

In January 2024 we made a large donation of baby milk formula and nappies to the Sujatha Sewana babies home in Bandarawella.  This facility is run by the government probation …

Sunday afternoon outings are an important part of family life for many of us.  Our care leavers are no different.  Many come from remoter parts of Sri Lanka.  For these …

We are thrilled to share the good news that another care leaver has graduated from the University of Colombo.  After Chameera’s success last year it is good to have played …

Brighter Path was proud to support the United Nations’ International Children’s Day on 1 October 2023. This is always a big event in Sri Lanka, particularly for children in care. …

In September Brighter Path donated 585 pairs of underpants to boys and girls in government children’s homes in the Bandarawella area. Although these children’s homes receive some state funding they …

The 5th Biennial Conference on Alternative Care for Children in Asia was held over two days in September 2023 in Kathmandu, Nepal.  Hundreds of representatives attended from across the globe …

We have established a partnership with the Vishaka Girls Training Centre’s school of sewing and needlecraft.  Vishaka is an children’s home in Bandarawella which only looks after girls who for …

At Brighter Path we provide mobile phones to all our care leavers. These are essential for navigating everyday life: building a network of friends and a social life, contacting employers …

This week we were delighted to welcome Nadeesha Chathurangani, Commissioner for Probation and Childcare in the Uwa Province. She visited two of our transition homes and the Brighter Path office. …

We were thrilled to open a new girls’ transition home in Colombo this week. Our first residents have already moved in and are settling into their new home. We know …

We were delighted to welcome British High Commissioner Sarah Hulton OBE to visit one of our transition homes today. Sarah was given a tour of the house by one of …

Although not the most obvious part of our work, in 2022 we have continued to provide significant legal support to care leavers.  Many leave orphanages without birth certificates or other …

This week a young care leaver living in one of our transition homes graduated with an upper second class degree in Sociology from the prestigious University of Colombo.  That would …

Brighter Path ran a successful series of workshops this year. They were very popular with our care leavers and provoked plenty of discussion.   All of the care leavers in our …

Two Brighter Path care leavers were invited to take part in a UN Development Programme audit of disabled facilities in Nuwara Eliya, a large town in the tea country of …

In October 2022 Brighter Path founder Caroline travelled to the Eastern Province with the Brighter Path team to oversee an emergency food distribution project.  The area between Dimbulagala  and Welikanda …

In August 2022 Brighter Path organised a relief project for three residential homes in the greater Polonarruwa area.  Two of the homes, Arunalu and Parakum Uyana, provide accommodation for mentally …

In July 2022 Brighter Path carried out a large project in the Northern Central Province of Sri Lanka.  This is a remote area of the country, about 200 km north …

For the last 5 months Brighter Path has been supporting Sandun, an elite athlete and a care leaver. When he was young Sandun always excelled at athletics and showed enormous …

These are difficult times in Sri Lanka.  Over the past year the economic situation has steadily deteriorated with high inflation and widespread shortages of food.  In addition a shortage of …

Since the start of 2022 Brighter Path has been supporting two care leavers who are still studying at school. Both care leavers were asked to leave their children’s home when …

Brighter Path is funding a resource centre for Generation Never Give Up. GNG was founded by care leavers for care leavers and advocates for better rights and representation of this …

This month we helped two care leavers who approached us about participating in advanced training courses which will help them progress in their chosen careers. In both cases the care …

We have been celebrating the Brighter Path care leavers who completed their vocational training this term, passed all their exams and were awarded their NVQ certificates at a beautiful ceremony …

Dengue Fever continues to be a permanent cause for concern, particularly as cases have been rising in unprecedented numbers in Sri Lanka this year. Dengue can strike anyone and is …

Of the many care leavers Brighter Path works with, some carry huge trauma from childhood (sometimes from before they went into orphanages, for others arising from their time in orphanages.). …

This year during the extended periods of travel restrictions and lockdown Brighter Path was able to fund the provision of food packs to care leavers throughout the country who were …

The implications of the pandemic for Sri Lanka’s orphanages have been profound.  In normal times local companies and well-wishers provide regular support with donations of food and money. With local curfews …

Darshan’s earliest memory is of sitting by the side of the road, laughing and giggling with the woman he still regards as his mother.  He had been abandoned as a small …

Last month we completed some major adaptation works to the Brighter Path transition home in Colombo to make it suitable for wheelchair users.  The most important part of our project was …

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted many of the difficulties care leavers around the world struggle with on a daily basis: housing, finance, health care, social support, employment, nutrition and hygiene. …

From 23rd to 25th November 2020 the 1st International Care Leavers Convention was hosted in India and organise by Udayan Care, SOS Villages and Kinder Perspectief.  Delayed from March 2020 …

When Indrani was still very young her father was imprisoned for killing another man in a fight.  Her family were left destitute. They lived rough in a cemetery whilst her …

Tharindu was four when his mum left him at the orphanage. He remembers crying a lot. He was a very quiet and shy boy. He was 14 when a young …

Sanath’s parents both died when he was three years old. The head teacher of his village school took him to an orphanage in Colombo. Sanath stayed there for the next …

Dinesh arrived at his orphanage when he was a very small baby and stayed there for over 20 years. He doesn’t know his birth name or his age or anything …