Kingsley Healthcare staff and their families bring festive joy to a Sri Lankan children's home

The girls at Haldanduwana Children’s Home were thrilled to receive Christmas gifts following a fund-raising appeal embraced not only by Kingsley Healthcare staff but also their families.

The home has been supported for many years by The Lotus Foundation, a charity set up by Kingsley founders Daya and Sumi Thayan to fund community work in their former homeland of Sri Lanka. 

The Christmas appeal was launched after a visit to Sri Lanka by Kingsley’s Marketing and Customer Relations Officer, Stephen Pullinger and his family last February.

He said: “We had the privilege of seeing the amazing community work being undertaken by the foundation and visiting the Haldanduwana Children’s Home was a real highlight of our stay. It is such a happy, loving family despite the difficult circumstances the girls have faced in their young lives.

“As soon as we came away we resolved to start an appeal to give them the Christmas they deserve.”

The gifts were presented to the girls during a festive visit by Daya, Sumi and Senior Finance Executive and CFO - The Lotus Foundation, Suranga Dissanayake, who were joined by staff from Kingsley’s back office in Colombo.

Daya said: “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to Stephen Pullinger's wonderful initiative of delivering Christmas gifts to the children at the Haldanduwana Children’s Home.  

“Sumi, Suranga, our Colombo-based team and I had the privilege of bringing these gifts to the children and spending time with them, their matron, and the dedicated staff. The joy on the children’s faces was truly heart-warming, and their gratitude for your thoughtful generosity was deeply moving.

“The children in this home are remarkable, overcoming significant challenges with resilience and spirit. Currently, there are 28 children in their care, with the youngest being just four years old. It was heart-wrenching to say goodbye, but we are comforted to know they are safe, well-cared for, and surrounded by love.”

The Lotus Foundation, which has now spread its good work to many other countries, including the UK, is about to embark on major renovation work at the children’s home to ensure it remains a sanctuary for these young lives. 

During their visit, Daya, Sumi and Suranga will be travelling across the South and North of Sri Lanka, continuing efforts to help innocent lives and bring hope where it’s needed most.