Sivan Arul Illam is currently home to 150 children, living in our boys’ and girls’ homes in the vicinity of the ancient Thiruketheeswaram Temple. Most of the children have lost most of their parents in the recent war, and some come from families where they cannot be cared for, as a result of poverty or other reasons. The children attend a nearby local school called the Gowri Ambal school. This school originally taught 25 children and had to rapidly expand to cope with the addition of the children from our homes. In 2010, we aided in the expansion of the school by opening three buildings, dedicated to information technology, music and science. The development of infrastructure and educational facilities was also aimed at providing a more holistic education to the children.

At Sivan Arul Illam, we believe that education is one of the fundamental paths to building a better future. Since the origin of the children’s home 10 years ago, we have come a long way. Many of our children have completed their education and excel in studies and sports. From 2011 to 2014 we have sponsored 35 university students and provided financial support towards their living costs. Our vision is to offer vocational training to school leavers so that they can continue to lead prosperous or fulfilling lives. Many of the children who arrived at our homes were initially illiterate, even those in their early teens. Some had not even attended a school for a number of years. The task of integrating them back into the society and the school system was not an easy task! We believe that every child has the potential to learn and grow. As such, we were prepared to whatever steps necessary to build the academic foundation of these children and integrate them into the education system. Additional coaching was arranged to give the students the much-needed academic support.

Ten years on many children from our home have passed the O/L and A/L exams with very good results. 6 children have gained admission to the Northern and Eastern Universities. We acknowledge that all the children will not be able to complete the year12 and that they will need further vocational training. Four of the boys and two girls are trained in hospitality field so that they can work in the hotel industries. we plan to train the children at our SVPTC so that they can gain useful employment.
Our children also excel in sports and have gained first and second places in National sports competitions