In 2005, the Alai Ozai Community Center was rebuilt in Navalady, Sri Lanka with funding from San Felipe Humanitarian Alliance. This project and location was selected because the need was brought to our attention in 2002.
The original community center, built in 2003, was destroyed in the 2004 tsunami. Today approximately 75 children are attending the programs at the center, as well as most mothers who are participating in classes designed for them.
Our center and the Butterfly Gardens, which is a garden of reconciliation and healing for war affected and traumatized children, serve as a haven for the people in the surrounding areas and provides a sense of normalcy for the children.
We continue to support not only the Community Center, Butterfly Peace Gardens, but also the wider community through partnership with Fr Paul and needful Navalady families.
Father Paul, director of Alai Ozai Community Center
ALAI OSAI
Alai Osai Community Development Centre
Alai Osai Community Development Centre was founded in 2003 in loving memory and honour of Robert Del Conte. When the 2004 tsunami destroyed the building, the Schweitzer family rebuilt it as a community centre for the fishing village of Navalady.
Before the tsunami, Navalady was home to 472 families with 931 members. The disaster displaced the entire community, and the government resettled them in Thiraimadu, which offered housing and community facilities but no fishing work. Little by little, residents began returning to Navalady to fish. Over time, the Catholic Church built 136 houses there and Caritas built five more.
Today, 236 children live permanently in Navalady. Thirty-two of them attend our evening classes, which are run by two teachers, and six new children joined the education programme in 2019.
Beyond the classroom, the Centre runs a programme for mothers, and our counsellors make regular home visits to help families build and use their skills. A psychosocial worker also provides guidance on parenting, healthy relationships, struggling families, and issues such as drug use.
The Centre has helped children improve their attendance, hygiene, self-care, and studies, while encouraging ethical living, leadership, and strong family values. Step by step, Navalady itself is growing, with new study and training centres, tourism, economic development, and cultural and spiritual life.
In the Children's Own Words
Nirthikka: "I attend classes at Alai Osai regularly, and we learn our lessons in an organized way. Our teachers hold classes whatever the weather, and they also run a nutrition programme and spiritual and cultural activities that we love taking part in. Right now only a few subjects are taught here, so we humbly ask for more teachers who could teach us the others as well."
Kirushalini: "I studied at the Centre from Grade 1 to Grade 7. Our teachers teach us well and encourage us through spiritual, cultural, and sports activities, and we receive nutritious food every day. The Centre helps us grow in many ways, and I'm happy to thank you."
Amalraj Laxayini: "I started attending evening classes when I was three. Now I'm 14 and in Grade 9. Our teachers never miss class, whatever the weather, and they teach us well. Along with lessons and meals, they organize cultural, spiritual, and sports activities, and our parents work closely with the staff. Because there are only two teachers, we can only cover a few subjects in the time we have. I would be very grateful if you could provide another teacher so my classmates and I can study every subject."
Nithushan: "Before I joined Alai Osai's evening classes, I wasted my evenings and only studied at school. Now I understand my school subjects more easily because the teachers at Alai Osai explain things so well. I also help the staff at the Centre. It has benefited me greatly."
Sivanesarajah Thushani: "I have attended evening classes at Alai Osai since Grade 1, and now I'm in Grade 6. The teachers teach us well, and the nutrition programme helps us too. Father, we kindly ask you to keep supporting this programme so we can continue our education."
E. Gangaiamaran: "I have improved a lot by coming to the Centre. Because we get nutritious food, I can concentrate and study well. I'd happily spend all my time here. We help the staff prepare for the Oli Vila celebration, and through the Saraswathy Pooja held at the Centre, we learn about our religion.