Our development.

Originally intended as a Tsunami-emergency aid, Dry Lands Project e.V. was eventually transformed into a long-term support project sustained by Frank Lieneke with the help of his family and friends. He instantly realized that not only the victims of the Tsunami required help. Numerous children in areas that were not affected by the Tsunami suffered from lack of care and support as well. After considerable dedication to an orphanage for girls, Frank Lieneke developed the idea of opening such an institution himself. Consequently, he rented a piece of property and renovated the house that was situated there. Gradually, more and more girls moved into what was named the Angels Home for Children until it reached full capacity.

What we have achieved.

Thanks to a large donation received from Germany, Dry Lands Project e.V. was able to purchase its own piece of land measuring about 6,000 m2. Fortunately, the new property adjoins the former one, which made the move considerably easier. Within 1.5 years a new children’s home was built from scratch which contains manifold training and educational facilities like a computer room, a library, a kitchen which is used for training purposes, a sewing shop and two classrooms. The building was constructed in an L-shape and consists of two stories with spacious patios and balconies. The opening ceremony for the newly constructed building took place in January 2011. Since then it has been serving as a new home for up to 60 girls from poor and broken families.

Why our Angels Home for Children is special.

Girls between the age of 4 and 18 are living in the children’s home where they experience affectionate care by local nursing staff and voluntary staff from Germany. Furthermore, the children have the chance to use diverse educational and leisure facilities. For instance:

• tutoring in English, Maths, Science and Sinhala
• traditional Kandy-Dance classes
• cooking classes in international cuisine
• reading hour and borrowing of books in the home-owned library
• computer classes
• creative activities and games
• learning of domestic duties and different handiworks

Beside these facilities there is a professional psychological counsellor once a week who visits the Angels Home and talks with the girls about their past experiences and problems. Dry Lands Project also tries to support the children after they have become of age until an independent and financially stable future is secured.

An additional characteristic of the children’s home is the fact that the project founder Frank Lieneke and his partner Julia Fischer are in Marawila around the clock in order to provide ideal measures of care for the girls as well as an appropriate allocation of donations.

Where the girls are coming from.

Despite its shortcomings, Sri Lanka has a Department of Probation and Child Care. When someone notices that a child is growing up under poor conditions or is even being abused, this particular department can be contacted. However, the mothers or other relatives themselves frequently ask for a placement of their children in the home. The reasons range from difficulties coping to poverty to lack of interest in their own child. Furthermore, remarriage is a frequent reason in Sri Lanka for a child’s placement in a home, since the husband of the second marriage often is not accepting of the children from the first marriage.

It should also be mentioned that the work of the authorities in Sri Lanka still has not reached the standards of more developed nations. The island is still considered a developing country and is strongly characterised by poverty and corruption.

How we are financed.

Dry Lands Project e.V. is exclusively financed through private donations and sponsorships. This often proves difficult considering the size and level of familiarity of the organisation.

All incoming donations as well as their usage can be tracked on the project’s website.

It is the organisation’s intention to substantiate maximum transparency and show the donors that their money really is put to use where they expect it – for the children of the Angels Home.

Actively help with public relations!

If this is not going far enough for you, you can, of course, beat the big drum for us. There are many options – beginning with a link on your homepage to distributing information material to acquiring donations.

Spread the word!

If you are convinced by our work, then please tell your friends and family about it! Our project mainly prospers through connections and word-of-mouth recommendation. You can play a part in contributing to increase its familiarity!

Make a difference with an internship in the Angels home for Children!

We constantly look for creative and motivated interns who reinforce our team in the Angels Home directly in Marawila. Assigned duties range from helping our girls with their homework, teaching them English and engaging in PR-work for our project. If you are interested, simply write us an e-mail.

Support by sponsorships!

Besides sponsoring an individual girl, it is also possible to sign up for a sponsorship of the project. The donors themselves can choose the amount of their regular donations that are used to finance the current and unscheduled expenses of the Angels Home.

Bank details: Sri Lanka

Bank: Seylan Bank Limited
Ort: No.99/1, Colombo-Chilaw Road,
Katuneriya, Sri Lanka.
Name: Frank Lieneke, Dry Lands Project
KTO: 055001902350001
SWIFT: SEYBLKLX

Bank details: Germany

DryLandsProject e.V.
Keyword: Sri Lanka help for kids
Stadtsparkasse Lengerich:

IBAN: DE 96 4015 4476 0001 0987 22
SWIFT-BIC: WELADED1LEN