All wards of state-run orphanages and children’s homes get gifts from Prez

President Ranil Wickremesinghe will provide gifts to around 10,000 children in children’s homes run by the state, countrywide, for the New Year on Saturday (13), President’s office sources said.

President Wickremesinghe has instructed Chief of Defence Staff Gen Shavendra Silva to arrange a project to give New Year gifts to inmates of 336 children’s homes and orphanages run by the government, sources said.

President Wickremesinghe has been giving New Year gifts to children in children’s homes in the Nuwara Eliya during every Sinhala and Tamil New Year for the past several years and this year its scope has been widened to increase the number of beneficiaries, sources said.

Every child in government run children’s homes would get a gift parcel on Saturday and this would be coordinated by the Army, under the supervision of Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage, on instructions of Gen Shavendra Silva.

It has been estimated that there are 8,721 children in government-managed children’s homes and gifts would also be provided to children in homes for the deaf and blind, sources said.