About Us

I consider myself honoured to be President of The Balangoda Yasodara Specialized School and Children’s Home, which has been engaged in social and philanthropic activities for 56 years, fulfilling the needs, requirements, and ambitions of 800 helpless and ill-fated children, who are officially designated as atypically disabled (Deaf / Blind). It gives me great pleasure to be part of the humanitarian team, which ensures the efficient running of this institution, facilitating those children to develop their inborn talents and skills to prepare them to enter the mainstream of society and to face up to all the trials and tribulations of the world like everyone else.

I am pleased to announce, as the President of this noble establishment, that we have been successful in facilitating 80 restricted-ability youths who are resident in the Home, with our present limited resources due to a very efficient, effective and transparent administration working with the full corporation of all the staff and sponsors of the institution. Balangoda Yasodara Specialised School and Children’s Home is recognised in Sri Lanka as one of the exclusive establishments catering for restricted-ability children.

Our vision and missions are to ensure that budding and growing children, irrespective of their physical disability, are assisted to achieve the best of their abilities, sharpening their talents and to prepare them to be useful and ‘fully pledged’ citizens in our society of the future. We would welcome your, support and financial aid to enable us to carry out our service, recognising the fact that this special group of children, born deaf and blind are at present totally unsupported by our society.

Your support and help to enable us to carry out this noble service continuously, with the prospect of expanding the facilities in the future at the school and the children’s home, will be greatly appreciated with my utmost gratitude.

Ven. Bambarabotuve Ananda Mangala Thero

President
Yasodara Children’s Home Development Society
Miriswatta, Balangoda, Sri Lanka
Email: peaceofmind@email.com
Tel: (+94) 45 228 6429

Balangoda Yasodara Specialised School is the only institution within the Sabaragamuwa Province that caters for children suffering from deaf and blind impediments. These children are also taken care of while they are residents of the children’s home. There are only 25 schools of this category throughout Sri Lanka, the Western Province has the largest number of institutes, the rest of the provinces have a maximum of one or two schools.

All children in the Balangoda Yasodara Specialised School are treated and taught without any discrimination, cover the same syllabus, and are taught in the same classrooms with other children who have no disabilities. The school does not get additional provision or assistance from the Central Government, it is on the same scale as the government managed schools, simply, all schools receive basic funding from the State. This very fact makes us vulnerable and is for this reason that we are appealing to all kind-hearted philanthropists, like you, who read this.

Many ‘specialised’ schools receive foreign aid from time to time. Unfortunately, our institution, geographically, a long distance from the Capital, is denied these facilities and assistance. However, we would like to thank the Sabaragamuwa Education Department, Social Services and Welfare Ministry at the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council as well as the Balangoda Provincial Council who are extend a helping hand towards our activities and progress.
During our hard fought journey in the past, we have achieved much, but it is our agenda and firm intention, together with our efficient and hardworking administrative committee and the school staff, to devote our energies to afford the maximum welfare, not only to the existing children in our school and home, but to open doors to any future disadvantaged children, who come to us, to give them the opportunity to be future self-motivated adults who will not feel that they are a hindrance to society.

Mrs N.V Kamala Siriyalatha

Principal and Secretary of
Yasodara Children’s Home Development Society
Miriswatta, Balangoda, Sri Lanka
Tel: (+94) 45 228 6469

Who are We ?

Yasodara Specialised School and Children’s Home for dis-abled children (deaf / blind) is situated in the area of Balangoda, in Sabaragamuwa Province, Ratnapura District.

This Institution was established in 1960 with the aegis of the late Ven. Aggamahapanditha Balangoda Ananda Maithree Thero, in consultation with Mr. Rienzie Alagiyawanna, the Principal of Sri Dhammananda (English) Vidyalaya, which the Venerable Ananda Maithree established in 1944.

Today, Yasodara Specialised School and the Children’s Home is rated as one of the top-most educational and social activity centres in Sri Lanka where approximately 80 children receive their education from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm daily, with the help of 13 teaching staff, who are assisting the Principal engaged in educating these young children with a mandatory syllabus.

The President of the organisation, with the help of a very hard-working Management Committee, ensure that welfare, food, lodging and healthcare facilities are efficiently provided for the children.

The school curriculum, from grade 1 to grade 11, is equivalent to the syllabus covered in any other local school in Sri Lanka. The school offers the facilities which enable the children to sit for the 5th Year Scholarship and GCE (OL) examinations.

Our Services

Services undertaken and executed by the school are as follows:

Looking after and providing security for disabled children.
Facilitating free education for children with special needs (deaf / blind).
The provision of accommodation, food and lodging, and attending to the health and safety requirements of the children.
Providing healthcare clinics for the children.
Organising and taking the children on educational excursions.
Organising sports meetings and cultural activities together with children from other local schools.
Acting as a teacher-training centre for school teachers and offering them the facility to attend refresher courses to advance their teaching knowledge on sign language and Brail reading.
Organisation of periodical hearing tests for the children including children attending local schools.
Brail- library facility which can be used by children who have already left the school.
Lending a helping hand and to assist in arranging, wherever possible, matrimonial details for the adult dis- abled populace.
Training of adult, disabled people on vocational training schemes.

DO YOU KNOW.....?

Among all the specialised schools for the disabled (Deaf / Blind) children who sat for the GCE (O/L) examination, our school at present holds the record for a student passing the examinations after sitting for the first time.
There are about 800 ‘Deaf / Blind’ (disabled) children studying at present in our school.
To date twelve students from our school have attained University admission.
Shanuka Nipuna represented our school at the Korean Information Technology assembly in 2012, and managed to win a gold medal.
Currently, one of the students from our school is representing the “All Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Deaf / Blind cricket team.”

ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS

1. All children affected with hearing and vision difficulties, between the ages of 5 and not older than 14 years of age at last birthday.
2. Certificate of Birth and a child’s educational activity (record) certificate from the previous school (if attended).

FUTURE PROGRAMMES IN THE PIPE LINE

While our seat of learning holds a special place in the educational sector in Sri Lanka for deaf and blind ‘special needs’ children, our prime aim and ambition is to make the establishment a Centre for Social Services officials, teachers from across the length and breadth of Sri Lanka who are dealing with children with special needs.

To achieve these high standards and expectations, the state of our buildings and financial provisions required are at present inadequate. In our forward-looking programmes, we aim to have additional facilities. To achieve this goal we will have to depend on the generosity of kind hearted philanthropists. Therefore, your big-hearted contributions to achieve these objectives will be not only a tremendous boost but will also be a meritorious deed for you. We hope to attain the following extras in our forward planning.

Computer Laboratory for the school.
Library for the school.
Playground exclusively for the school.
Science Laboratory for the school.
Security Fence to protect the premises.
New Building for additional classrooms.
Two hostels, one for male children and one for female.
Kitchen/Pantry.
Staff (Rest) Room (Presently in progress with philanthropic contributions).
CCTV Camera system.
New Building for teacher accommodation.
Rest/Waiting Room for visitors.
Store Room (Presently in progress with philanthropic contributions).
A Vehicle (Three Wheeler) to deal with emergency situations of children.
Photocopy Machine
Generator.

Vision