Cardinal to inaugurate Hygiene Wing at Mama Papa Home, Kalutara on 28 Nov,

The hygiene wing of the Mama Papa Home in Kalutara (Marcsri Homes) will be inaugurated by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, together with Heinz Pauli, President of the Brighter Life Foundation (BLF), and guests from Switzerland on 28 November at 5 pm.

The newly completed building features a laundry drying room and spacious facilities designed to meet the sanitary needs of the foster children, according to Rudolf Albert Gauhl, former Deputy Ambassador of Switzerland to Sri Lanka.

Brighter Life Foundation, a Swiss-run foundation established in December 2004 to support disability charities in Sri Lanka, first introduced the Mama Papa Home in Kalutara in 2022. The home provides comprehensive, customised therapies for the treatment of physically or mentally partially-abled individuals.

The groundbreaking ceremony for this wing was held in mid-2024 in the presence of Heinz Pauli. In addition, the Swiss organisation’s long-term prevention and education programs have been developed in cooperation with local communities and physicians, offering people more than just medical support by helping them gain new vitality and opportunities in life.

Essential prostheses, braces, wheelchairs, and similar equipment are manufactured on-site, mainly by people with disabilities. Brighter Life’s work has also helped overcome earlier hygiene challenges at Mama Papa Home by constructing a roof with solar panels, creating a greatly improved environment for the children. The solar panels reduce electricity bills and provide hot water for daily showers.

“Looking back, we have helped well over 1,500 children with special needs through care, support, and educational facilities,” said Rudolf Albert Gauhl, Honorary President of BLF, who is domiciled in Colombo.

 “Since its inception, Brighter Life has been supported by a small group of donors who have enabled reliable and cooperative work over many years.”

Heinz Pauli, President of the BLF, with Rev. Dr. Bishop J.D. Anthony Jayakody,
one of the keen promoters of the home.