Piyawara touches the lives of the children in Thalladi, an underserved community in the Mannar District with the construction of its 45th pre-school and adds another Piyawara pre-school to the national network.
Present at the opening ceremony were members of the clergy, Hemas officials, senior army officials, Government officials, and the families from the community. The Sri Lanka Army extended their support to the project by undertaking the construction of the school which was completed in just 22 days.

Initiated in 2002, the Piyawara programme was launched in partnership with the Children’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Divisional Secretaries. The programme aims to enrich the lives of underprivileged children of Sri Lanka focusing on key aspects within the framework of ECCD providing a holistic approach to preschool education.

At present the 45 pre-schools across the country has over 115 teachers and over 3500 children attending them daily.

Piyawara is managed by the Hemas Outreach Foundation (www.hemasoutreach.com) and stands today as a successful initiative, a sustainable and ongoing project by Hemas and the Children’s Secretariat, demonstrating the success of government – private sector partnerships in addressing national issues and creating strong communities.