The Haven in Sri Lanka serves a total of 94 women and children ranging in age from infants to teenagers, and also pregnant and new moms. most of the girls at The Haven are placed in the home through a government referral because of their home and life circumstances.
Among the many services and activities that the children and women engage in is counseling. The Haven’s counselor see about 8-10 clients a day and carries out group therapy activities that incorporate art, music, discussion, and games. Th counselor also works with the government as well as with families to obtain birth certificates and identity cards for the girls so that they are able to find suitable jobs when they leave the home.
The home also has a yoga teacher who works with girls who are going through trauma, anger and pain. Twenty girls attend the yoga class each week. The girls enjoy this opportunity and seem to be overcoming anger and stress.
Each day at The Haven has a focus on self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, communication skills, positive behavior, and anger management. To accomplish these tasks the girls earn tokens for good behavior and participation in educational programs, drama, crafts, reading, writing, art, singing, and therapy.
One of the greatest goals of The Haven is to equip each child to be able to leave the home as a productive member of society. They encourage the girls to learn sewing, knitting, rug making, jewelery making, and computer skills. They also offer a “beauty culture course” which is a sex month class on how to dress a bride, apply makeup, give manicures and pedicures, style hair, shape eyebrow, color hair, and even wax and thread eyebrows.
