What we have achieved in 2023...

Family Development Program (FDP):

- Unique Scholarships

Continuation of the financial support provided to school children of single-mother households for school materials, tuition classes etc.  Scholarships for University, HND and NVQ students. There is a waiting list of applications. Terminated scholarships are continually replaced with new families from the waiting list. However, the aim is the quality of assistance and counselling and not the quantity of scholarships.

- Simply Smart (start 2021)

All students received a laptop at the start of their studies at a university or university of applied sciences. The device is on loan and will be given to the students upon successful completion of their studies.

- Unique Startups

Helping people to help themselves. Single mothers receive ideas and support in their search for SIG (sustainable income generating) projects. This opportunity is now also offered to young adults without educational opportunities (insufficient school-leaving qualifications).

- Unique Health

Financial help in the event of health problems, but only for children, young people, and parents in the family development program.

- Unique Homes

Organising and financing renovations, repairs, or new buildings if the housing situation poses a risk to supported families. In 2023, special donations were used to build a small house for a grandmother and grandchild (incl. electricity, toilet, water), a toilet was completed for a family, a roof in danger of collapsing was replaced for a mother and daughter, and an unfinished house was developed to replace an uninhabitable house for a family of four.

Unique Classes

Free English and computer classes for school children at the Simply Unique Centre will not continue in 2024. However, the drawing lessons according to the school curriculum with Harshani Wijewickrama, (Bachelor of Visual Arts).

Unique Children (start 2023)

Our commitment 2023: Children with disabilities have a right to education and support. Thanks to our funding for school materials, uniforms, and transport, 7 of 12 boys in a residential home for cognitively impaired boys were able to start school. The drawing and handicraft lessons by Harshani Wijewickrama continued. In addition, financing of lessons for the remaining 5 boys in the home and homeschooling of a girl given by the special needs teacher Sithumini de Silva.

Unique Babies (start Sept. 2022)

Starting in September 2022, 21 mothers Downsouth and Upcountry were given regular high protein food packages, starting in their first Trimester of pregnancy. The aim was to improve their nutritional status and thus prevent the unborn child from suffering damage due to malnutrition. In 2023, we were able to complete the first pilot group with the result of 21 normal-weight, healthy babies. Due to the economic situation, it was decided to continue with the project with the same scope.  Applications can be submitted via midwives of the local MOH (Medical Office of Health), the criteria are low BMI of the pregnant women and the income situation of the family.

Simply Nutritious (start Nov. 2022)

In 2022, at the request of the Government Agent Galle, daily meals were financed during 11 months for six preschools. In succession Simply Unique Lanka decided to change to financing one egg per child three times a week to improve the mostly carbohydrate-heavy diet of the children with high-quality protein. Expansion of the project to three additional preschools Upcountry.

Unique Starter Kits

Children must bring all their school materials for a year when they start school, which is financially impossible for many families. In 2023, 82 children from families in need were once again provided with the necessary school materials.

Simply Recycling (start 2023)

Together with Hasanka Padukka, one of the founders of zerotrash.lk, a workshop on the topic of plastic and PET recycling was held in April 2023. Due to the persistent rain, a workshop at the school in Boossa had to be postponed. However, the plan is to continue this project in different schools.

NEWS 2022

The families need help, therefore we introduced the Family Support Program

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the situation for low-income families, especially mother-headed households, became increasingly worse. During the first curfew 2020, we distributed rice, lentils, powdered milk, etc. to our supported families. At each new lockdown, we transferred additional money to the families so that they could stock up on the most necessary basic dry rations.

Now, 2022, we have Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis since the independence from Britain in 1948. People are suffering from a shortage of food, fuel and medicines, power cuts and an huge inflation.

In addition to the monthly scholarships, we are distributing money to buy food for our supported families. 

2021 we celebrated a 30 year long commitment for disadvantaged children, youth and single mothers in Sri Lanka

Simply Unique-Lanka is  the new legal form of the Swiss Foundation Silvia’s Kinderhilfe in Sri Lanka, a charity organisation that was started in Hikkaduwa in 1991.

The foundation was running a registered orphanage for 24 years, financed and sponsored by private Swiss citizens (community-based fundraising).