The Sunshine Charity - Sri Lanka

27/07/2026

Returning to the Sunshine Preschool in her eleventh year, Holistic Education Specialist, Julie Cox, facilitated two workshops, focusing on developing further the children’s Emotional, Social & Sensory skills and Awareness. Embedding into each activity opportunities for the children to be curious, to reflect and to communicate their feelings and to enjoy the learning activities and shared experiences with their peers, Julie says, “sharing and learning with the children is always a beautiful highlight of my trip to Sri Lanka. I absolutely loved being with the incredible children and Sunshine Team.”
Differentiating activities for the older and younger groups, Julie sat with the children in a learning circle starting with some songs, sound and rhythm practices and mindful movement. The last part of the workshop focused on emotional literacy and relaxation techniques with the parachute and the introduction of emotion cards in English and Tamil. Engaged in role play to express different emotions and using simple emotional literacy songs, the children expressed their feelings on blank paper enjoying the expressive drawing experience.
Thank you, Julie Cox, for your continued support and engagement with the kids and staff of the Sunshine Preschool and for sharing your holistic education expertise with them.

22/06/2026

Welcoming special guests to the preschool is always exciting for the children, staff as well as the trustees. Typically, a child centered activity plays a focus role in the welcome so that the visitors can participate in the fun and learning process.

Our special guests for the art workshop with renowned artist Pala Pothupitiya, were, Dr. Siri Walt, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives and Dr. Vinya Ariyartne, Honorary President of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka. We are privileged to have both as our special guests for the art workshop.
Thank you – Dr. Walt and Dr. Ariyratne for your visit, for meeting with our children and for taking part in the activities.

22/06/2026

Art Workship with Pala Pothupitiya
It is two years since the Sunshine Children participated in an exclusive hands-on-experience art workshop, and like previously, the much-awaited two-day drawing and clay modeling workshop was conducted by the renowned artist Pala Pothupitiya. We are grateful to Pala for encouraging both children and staff through their active engagement to be heard and seen with their new skills. The Sunshine Charity is committed in providing our children with non-structured creative activities which are not part of the preschool syllabus. These programmes have helped them to develop emotionally and build meaningful interpersonal relationships.

Thank you Pala for giving our children your time and sharing your skills. We also say thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for their creative involvement to reduce situations of vulnerability.

04/06/2026

Walking for Sri Lanka
Over 100 Year 5 pupils of Caxton College, Valencia, Spain participated in an annual sponsored walk on May 8th in the Ribelles Park in Puzol, Spain. The children were inspired to raise funds for two Sri Lankan charities that support underserved children in Sri Lanka. One of the charities was the Sunshine Charity. The funds raised will support the Sunshine Pre-school, which takes care of fifty vulnerable children living in the Trincomalee District.

The Sunshine Charity is grateful to Early Childhood Specialist, Julie Cox, who teaches at Caxton College for introducing the Sunshine Preschool to the Year 5 children at Caxton College. Julie has volunteered at the Sunshine Preschool on numerous occasions by supporting its educational programmes.

The Sunshine Charity is also grateful to the Year 5 children of Caxton College, who enthusiastically raised funds for “Walking for Sri Lanka” with care, empathy, altruism and curiosity about how their well- earned donations will help children in Sri Lanka.
From the Sunshine Children to the Children at Caxton College, we say a big THANK YOU to Julie and the Year 5 teaching team at Caxton College for your support.

05/05/2026

Celebrating Sinhala and Tamil New Year
Organizing special events for children is always a joy and so it was for the children at the Sunshine Preschool, when the staff and parents organized festive activities to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
Held at the school premises, parents and children shared the excitement and entertainment with the children in the community-led event to mark the most significant cultural festival celebrated in Sri Lanka.

04/04/2026

English for Every Child
We thank the Inner Wheel Club of Colombo District 322 for their continuous support to the organizations English Language Programme. As in the previous year, the 2026 classes are possible due to the generous funding made available by the Club. The classes are divided into two groups with the younger ones in one group and the older ones in a second group allowing focus-oriented sessions. Conducted by a qualified language teacher the programme targets the fifty disadvantage, rural children attending the Sunshine Preschool, giving them equal opportunity with urban children. Becoming fluent in a global language is one of the most valuable learning tools the Sunshine Charity can offer our children. We are thankful to the Inner Wheel Club of Colombo District 322 for the opportunity given to our children to learn and speak in English.

19/03/2026

Team Talk Time
Over the years, we have been able to resolve numerous challenges faced with the organizations primary project, the Sunshine Preschool – Taking Care of Vulnerable Children, in Trincomalee by listening and adhering to the advice given. We are grateful to all officials of the Eastern Province Pre-school Education Bureau, under the guidance of its Chairman, Mr. M. A. Ameerdeen, for the suggestions. As mentioned, “Fulfilling the necessary physical and human resources to pre-schools for ensuring a pleasant environment, capacitating the teachers on teaching quality ECD activities and promoting the nutritional practices in pre-schools through a transparent and accountable manner with balanced approach,” we have complied to help our children achieve remarkable progress. Thank You!

16/03/2026

11/03/2026

Market Place for Kids
Education for kids need not necessarily be learning from a book. Activities in a classroom can be interesting and fun and still be educational when children are encouraged to stretch their imagination in different ways. A good example is at the Market Place for Kids – an annual hands-on initiative at the Sunshine Preschool, which helps children to explore sales and marketing though innovative thinking. By interacting with others from the community, besides their own family, the children were proud to be a shop-keeper even if it was only for a day!

11/03/2026

Admissions Day at the Sunshine Preschool is waited anxiously with a mixture of eagerness, and some nervousness, by both children and parents. After the garlanding of the new entrees by those who have stayed on, and the traditional lighting of the oil lamp, the excitement and the celebration begin. Welcoming the children and parents the staff makes sure everyone is at ease.
Registered under the Eastern Province Preschool Bureau, the school follows the government stipulated pre-school syllabus. We thank all our donors for their generosity, which has helped the Sunshine Preschool to provide fifty vulnerable children for over twenty years, with additional opportunities like the nutritious morning meal, school uniforms and shoes, educational tools, a play-ground on the compound, creative workshops, security and the much-appreciated English language classes.