SOS Children's Village Balloon Carnival in Nuwara Eliya

The SOS Children's Village is organised a Balloon Carnival on April 15, at the Race Course Open Air Ground in Nuwara Eliya, as its latest campaign to increase awareness among the general public and develop a strong image of SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka.

The event will be held from to 10pm.

The programme, in addition to providing entertainment, will provide an opportunity to meet with SOS Children's Village Ambassador Pooja Um a sh a n k a r. Fo rme r National Cricketer Roshan Mananama too will take part in the programme.

SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka is a non- governmental, social development organisation that has been active in the field of Child Rights and committed to children's needs and concerns since 1980. During the past 36 years, SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka was mainly funded by international individual donors and other philanthropists, mostly living in Europe.

Due to the fact that, Sri Lanka is now considered a middle-income earning coun- try in Asia, the umbrella organisation has implemented a gradual subsidy reduction from SOS Children's Villages in Sri Lanka, and started to channel more international subsidies to the poorer countries in Asia and in other continents.

As a result, parts of the NGO's subsidy is siphoned off f rom 2 016 , wi t h SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka expected to be self- sufficient by 2023. In continuing to help children sans parental care, and who are now loved and cared under the SOS banner, the organisation is expected to raise funds through local sponsorships and donations.

The SOS Village has so far taken care of more than 41,000 children, during its 36 years in existence. The organisation has villages in Piliyandala, Nuwara Eliya, Moneragala, Gal le, Anuradhapura and Jaffna.

The SOS Village ( Nuwara Eliya) Director Muralindra Kumar recently briefed the media about the upcoming project.

Pix & Text by Shelton Hettiarachchi