Overview

The second SOS Children’s Village in Sri Lanka is situated on 2.5 acres of land at Bambarakelle, Nuwara Eliya (180 km from Colombo), in the central hill country of Sri Lanka. It is 6,283 feet above sea level, with the coldest climate in the country.

SOS Children’s Village Nuwara Eliya was inaugurated in April 1984. In 1983, the country faced a difficult situation, when an armed group unleashed hostility between the two main communities - Sinhalese and Tamil. SOS Children’s Villages were able to bring children of these two communities together as one family – hence it was a timely project.

At SOS Children’s Village Nuwara Eliya a total of ten families, six Sinhala and four Tamil were established. We were able to build a strong and united SOS Family, while the same two communities unleashed war in the country.

Throughout the long years of the civil war that the country was unfortunate to go through, SOS Family Nuwara Eliya, was setting an example as to how the two communities could live as one with understanding and peace.

Five mothers who were the first group of mothers are now retired from active service as SOS Mothers and are living in the Mothers’ Retirement Home. SOS Kindergarten, SOS Youth Facilities for Boys and Girls, FSP Programmes and Mothers’ Retirement Home are the other ancillary projects in Nuwara Eliya.