Home is where the heart is...

the war has left a legacy of orphaned children:

by P. Krishnaswamy

'Home Sweet Home', 'There is no place like home' and 'East or West Home is Best' so go the sayings to elucidate what a home means to anyone.

Children belonging to the Sencholai orphanage run by Kumaran Pathmanathan attend a school event - Courtesy Sencholai.org

For children, home is everything - their parents, siblings, loved ones and their entire world. But 'Children's homes' or "Homes for destitute children" functioning in the once war-ravaged Northern Province are nothing of the kind for children housed in them.

The war has left 'legay' of innocent children who have no real home to go to. No mother's love or father's love . Fate has indeed dealt them a rather cruel blow.

However, with the help of the Authorities they don't need to fend for themselves and there is hope- Every cloud has a silver lining.

Authorities in these areas house these children who are orphaned and left without other support systems due to the protracted war.

As for parents, they are either dead, have disappeared or are deliberately keeping away due to the war-induced penury.

These children face physiological, psychological and sociological problems. For many of them childhood has virtually crumbled into a nightmare.

Good Samaritans, well-wishers, religious organizations and NGOs are taking care of them - providing shelter, food, education and other basic requirements with the support extended by the Department of Probation and Child Care Services (DPCCS).

The security forces, after defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, found children in various homes run by the LTTE, including in the 'Sencholai' home, operated by Kumaran Pathmanathan, aka KP, the onetime procurer of arms for the LTTE and the international face of the LTTE..

Children in a home celebrate Pongal in Jaffna - Courtesy Cordlanka.wordpress.com

LTTE cadres while fleeing, had abandoned some of these children. Consequently, the DPCCS and other government authorities took steps to take care of these children and admitted them either in state-run children's homes or homes run by religious organizations, NGOs and well-wishers.

Incidentally, Kumaran Pathmanathan, is also running three registered children's homes, the'Sencholai' in Kilinochchi that was abandoned by the LTTE , the Bharathy Children's Home in Mullaitivu and Anbu Illam Children's Home in Mullaitivu, under the North East

Rehabilitation and Development Organization (NERDO) set up by him. KP, however, was not available for comment. Incidentally., NERDO was not among the 16 diaspora organizations that were banned by the former government.

Legal status

There are 44 such homes, both registered and unregistered, presently functioning in the Northern Province with 2487 children, comprising 748 boys and 1739 girls within the age group of 4 to 18 , according to statistical records of the DPCCS, head office in Jaffna.

The Department pays Rs 500 per child on a monthly basis to children housed in registered homes. Occasional payments for building constructions and clothes for the children are also provided as and when the occasion demands.

According to the records, there are some 'Boys only' homes as well as 'Girls only' homes, while the rest are mixed homes for boys and girls, All these children are being educated and sent to schools close to the Homes. some of them have qualified and were going to University as well.

There are 13 unregistered homes and the DPCCS is in the process of closing homes which do not adhere to rules and regulations of the Department.

Probation Officers of the Department stationed in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Mannar and Mullaitivu closely monitor these Homes and deal with all police cases on alleged sexual exploitation, harassment and other offences that are commited, sources said. The Department intends to gradually close unregistered homes while registering those which strictly abide by the Department's stipulations and are financially clean with audited accounts.

In addition to the privately-run homes, many children are also housed in state-run-homes.