Just 4 miles from affluent Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka – a country which has just emerged from a bloody civil conflict claiming over 60,000 lives in 20 years- there are thousands of very poor displaced people living in slum conditions. Each family on average has several children, sometime 8 per family. They are cared for by the local Church which was originally established by the Portuguese in the 16th century. This district, called Mutwal was once a thriving centre of Portuguese and Dutch rule. Today it one of the poorest parts of South Asia.

The Parish Priest of St Mary’s Church Mutwal, Mattakkuliya, Colombo 15, the Rev Fr Algama Jude Anthony, together with the Local Parish Council, Secretary Lal Fernando under the Patronage of Mrs Indra Deva, wife of Nirj Deva MEP and Mr Merril Fernando, Chairman of Dilmah Teas Ltd have launched a “Feed a Child Scheme” for European Parliamentarians.

The Church and the Government of Sri Lanka provide free schooling for children but most of these school children up to the age of sixteen arrive at the schools hungry because their parents cannot afford either to give them breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

Is it any surprise that under these conditions their educational achievement is minimal. Most of their parents live on less than 1 US dollar a day. These children will never reach their full potential unless we intervene now, even though their education is free. Frequently they face a life of petty crime and drugs, an ever widening cycle of deprivation, crime, illegitimacy, and early death.

Our ambition is to break this cycle of deprivation by giving them food and a balanced diet by providing them with free school meals, both breakfast and lunch, each day.

So please sponsor a child and know that you will be feeding that child each day.

It will cost a minimum of 15 Euros per child each month to do this.

You can choose to have an individually named child to sponsor; or sponsor two or more in each family. You will receive bi-annual reports of the children's progress from the trustees and a message from the child.