The City of Athulugama was carefully selected as the project site. Over 20,000 people live here with minimal resources, and many families barely survive, with poor or no health care nearby, no community center, and no vocational training to help them find work. Many children have been orphaned or abandoned at a very young age.
We hope to provide a source of stability and growth for this community, and above all a home for the orphaned children of Sri Lanka.
Opened 31 March 2013
The Give Light Home is not just another orphanage providing a roof over the heads of displaced and helpless children. It is a place for them to call home, a place that gives them direction, education, and emotional and spiritual support. Most importantly, it is filled with people they can call family. In their times of darkness, we provide them with light.
The home can care for up to 80 children, with food, shelter and education. Children are carefully selected by a professional committee based on the highest level of need. Once they are placed, this is their home until they become independent, compassionate and successful individuals who contribute to society.
The home is designed to feel like a house, with a homely lobby, a library and computer room, a large playground, and a garden where the children grow their own fruit and vegetables.
Scroll through Give Light Home in 3D, from the front door to the playground, with the story of how it came to be.
Open the walk-through
Opened 5 September 2013
The free clinic attends to the basic health care needs of the children and the local community. On opening day, over 160 patients lined up to be seen. People from the village of all races, ethnic backgrounds and religions are treated here.
Opened 5 September 2013
Three large classrooms for around 40 people each, including a full computer lab. Courses such as sewing, plumbing, mobile phone repair and electrical work give local people the training they need to find work and support their families.
Opened 15 May 2015
Bayt Ur-Rahman, the House of the Most Merciful, opened on Friday 15 May 2015. Close to 2,000 people came to the first Jummah, and the overflow filled the hallways and walkways. The children of Give Light Home pray all five daily prayers here in congregation.
Abdul Ageed Mohamed Marleen, 1938 to 2009
One of 12 children from a poor family, Mr. Marleen became a lawyer and was conferred the title of President’s Counsel in 2001. He was Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia until his sudden death in Sanaa, Yemen, on 23 June 2009, while representing Sri Lanka at a conference. He always believed that serving our community and country is a chief duty of all mankind.
His family, friends and associates founded the foundation to take forward his vision.
Read his storyOur organization is 100% volunteer based. Your donations are used to benefit the needy with absolute minimal administrative costs.
All credit card donations are processed by United World Charity Foundation, USA, a non-profit 501(c)(3), FEIN 27-4419860, our international affiliate for the A.A.M. Marleen Foundation of Sri Lanka.
Donate NowPlease mention where your donation should go in the transfer reference: Orphanage Complex, Mosque & Store Front, Health Care Clinic & Community Services Center, Educational Institute, Zakah, Where Most Needed.
Checks (US): make checks payable to “United World Charity Foundation” and mail to 4431 Laird Circle, Santa Clara CA 95054.
