Taking Care of 50 Vulnerable Sri Lankan Children

When we refer to early childhood education, its importance is often related to children growing up under normal circumstances. Very rarely do we relate its importance to children living in vulnerable communities. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes, we forget that these children are equally important; sometimes it is because they live marginalized, hardly heard or seen so we forget to recognize them. Pockets of programmes take care of their needs but an overall recognition of equal access to child care and education is overlooked. State policies may well be in place but implementing them in total is ignored at many levels.

Providing early childhood education for rural, vulnerable children is perhaps the only way to get out of the poverty cycle. It was a big day therefore for the Sunshine Children when some of them celebrated their graduation. Dressed up in the traditional graduation gown, they were so excited to be presented with the much-awaited graduation certificate. Their next destination – the local primary school. We are told that the children who transfer from the sunshine day care have many advantages. They are confident, cry out for help without being shy, interact openly making friends easily and have the basic skills to help them settle down.

Parents of the children are aware what this means to the family and in particular, the long-term benefits and impact it has on their children. For the children, it was no doubt the biggest day in their early childhood experience and one they will not forget!