3) New Dormitory at Palugamam
The new dormitory for Thilagawathiyar Girls’ Home was ceremonially opened on 20th June 2017. Swami Pirabu Premanathaji Maharaj, Chair of Ramakrishna Mission, Batticaloa blessed the new home constructed at a cost of Rs 200 lakh. Various other dignitaries participated in the ceremony. Visit https://youtu.be/TPnOliSr130
In Oct 2012, the building of this new girls’ home began with the laying of foundation for the building with the funding provided by Mahalirillam. Plans for building the home has progressed for the last five years, and all of this construction work is made possible using funds provided to SWO by various overseas organizations and well-wishers. The new home has given a number of new facilities – main hall/home, dinning and kitchen hall, an additional hall/home, perimeter wall & water tank along with the recent landscaping of the compound.
Background:
The existing Palugamam Girls home failed to meet Government Guidelines and when the girls from the Cheddipalayam Girls’ Home had to be relocated to Palugamam unexpectedly, the building was overfilling.
This led to the need to build an additional home and SWO decided to build a new Girls Home in Palugamam.
A land to build a new home was procured from the Government -Vellavely Porativupattu District Secretariat. In Oct 2012, work on the new girls’ home began with the laying of foundation for the building.
The new Thilagavathiyar Girls’ Home building was ceremonially opened on 20 June 17.
The new building blocks provide new facilities and a much improved learning & living environment for children.
Stage 1: Administration and Girls Hostel – Jointly Funded by Fund for Mahalirillam, and The Saiva Mantram – Sydney
Stage 2: Dinning and Kitchen Hall – Funded by SWO UK
Stage 3: Girls Hostel – Funded by Mr. Karthik Nadarajan , U.S.A
Stage 3: Boundary Wall – Funded by SACHA Association, Canada
Stage 4: Girls Hostel – Funded by the Australian Government and managed through the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) overseas post under the Direct Aid Program (DAP).
Photos attached below:
Stage 4: Construction of Additional Dormitory for the New Girls Home
The Direct Aid Program (DAP) is a flexible small grants program funded by the Australian Government and managed through the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) overseas posts. The program aims to support projects with a strong development focus that complement Australia’s broader aid program which contributes to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.
SWO submitted a proposal to construct an additional dormitory at the new girls home.
The project aims to ease the crowding effect currently prevailing at the new Thilakavadiyar’s Girls’ Home, Palugamum. The project will provide recommended space area for at-risk children as stipulated by the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, Sri Lanka. It will enable to achieve two main goals:
(a) the residential satisfaction of the dormitories from both the regulatory body and student’s perspective
(b) improving the children’s well-being and enhance their learning potential which is very vital for sustainability in education
The proposal was accepted by the DFAT, and Rs 28.77 Lakh was released.
The foundation stone laying ceremony was held on 09th February 2018.
Progress to date:
Following completion of detailed design works, work at site has commenced. Photos attached.
May 2018
July 2018
DFAT Visit to Girls Home
On 08 August 2018, Hon Dr Sharman Stone Australian Ambassador for Women & Girls (Indo Pacific Region) and other officials from DFAT visited SWO and inspected the construction works.
Please click on the following link to view the documentary on their visit:
In this context, we wish to express our profound gratitude to the Australian High Commission for its outright grant under Australian Direct Aid program to the Social Welfare Organization (SWO), Puthukkudiyiruppu to construct the dormitory wing for the New Girls Home.
06 Sept 2018
19 Sept 2018
On 05/12/2018, the traditional boiling of milk, letting it overflow, offering to God and distributing it among the staff and children ceremony was held in the new additional dormitory built in the Thilagavathiyar Girls home, Palugamam.
See photos attached.
04 Mar 2019
On Monday 04 March 2019, the new dormitory wing at the Thillagawathiyar Girls Home was officially opened by Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Srilanka & Maldives Ms Victoria Coakley. Click on the link to see highlights of the visit – https://youtu.be/5y77bW9AI_U
30th May 2019
Ms Danielle Cashen, Second Secretary Development Cooperation, The Australian High Commission – Visit
4) Benevolent Fund
This fund was established in 2011 to render financial assistance in cases of hardship to any SWO staff, or to assist any resident girl/s leaving the girls’ home following maturity (>18Y). The fund was created by voluntary donations received from the members of Mahalirillam. The fund is administered by a Committee of three senior SWO staff members consisting of SWO’s President, Coordinator and Treasurer. A copy of the ledger and beneficiary information are received monthly. Mahalirillam provides funds on a quarterly basis to boost the cash balances of the Fund.
Please view Youtube clip below:
5) Day Meals
Some Members of Mahalirillam have provided a day’s meal at the Girls’ Home as a way to celebrate special events in their family such as a wedding, wedding anniversary, birthdays, death anniversary etc. On this day, children are provided with a delicious meal which includes rice, special curries, ice cream, and dessert. Photos and a thank you letter from the SWO will be emailed to the sponsor.
For further information, please contact Mahalirillam via Contact-Us.
6) Annual Excursion
Every year, SWO takes all Girls Home children and staff on an excursion to any place of their choice. It is very seldom that these children get to experience such outdoor activities, so it was a very exciting two days for everyone. To many of the children it was an exposure to different scenery, enjoyment, and experience. Children enjoyed the temperature climate which gave a very different feel from Batticaloa. Some of the photos taken by SWO can be found attached. Thanks a lot for your support to needy.
The summary of video clippings taken at the Trip 2016 are documented in:
7) Chicken Farm
The construction of the Chicken House has been completed near the SWO’s Puthukkudiyirupu office and currently house around 200 broiler chickens.
The chicken house provides the following benefits to SWO:
- The house has curtain walls, could be rolled up in good weather and admits fresh air and light
- Chicken are raised in house, and attains slaughter weight in 5 – 6 weeks of age
- Because broilers don’t reach maturity it exhibit less aggressive conduct
- More number of birds could be reared in the house
- Faster return from investment
- Poultry meat is an important source of high-quality proteins, minerals, and vitamin – hence the children in the girls home benefits.
8) Cattle Farm – Converted to Chicken Farm
Last year, SWO completed a small cattle shed to raise few cattle for long-term production of milk. Its primary purpose is to use the milk for the children in the Girls’ Home and any excess milk will be sold in the market offering additional revenue to the SWO. A fence was erected around the shed to prevent any stealing which is widespread in the area.
However, SWO experienced the following problems and constraints in maintaining the cattle farm:
- unexpected increase in transport cost of bringing cattle feed
- scarcity of quality hay
- marked drop in the sale price of milk to customers far away places
- proceeds from the sale of milk locally have not generated enough income to support the day to day expenses
- SWO has no vehicle to sustain the cattle farm
It was decided (in March 2015) to convert the cattle shed to raise an additional 1000 chicken and to expand the current chicken farm of 250 birds.
The procurement proceeded in three stages:
Stage 1: Sale of cows (estimated selling price of Rs200,000) and conversion of the shed to chicken house
Stage 2: Procure and raise an additional first batch of 500 chicken
Stage 3: Raise the second batch of 500 chicken in the converted cattle shed