Monday Nov 17, 2025
Monday Nov 17, 2025
Tuesday, 16 September 2025 05:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
 |
| HelpAge Sri Lanka Chairman Tilak de Zoysa |
HelpAge Sri Lanka (HASL), is establishing its second Elders’ Day Care Centre in Laxapathiya, Moratuwa to improving the lives of underprivileged senior citizens.
The centre will provide structured day care services for underprivileged elders, offering daily activities, meals, health monitoring, and social engagement. The total project cost is Rs. 16 million, reflecting the scale of support needed to bring this vision to life.
Sri Lanka has the highest ageing population in Southeast Asia, and by 2038, it is projected that 25% of the population will be over 60 years of age. This demographic shift underscores the urgent need for centres of this nature to enable active ageing, social engagement, and holistic support for the elderly.
HASL Chairman Deshabandu Tilak de Soysa highlighted the organisation’s nearly four decades-long commitment to empowering elders. “Our initiatives—from over 53,000 free cataract surgeries at the HelpAge Charity Eye Hospital to mobile medical camps, livelihood support, elder rights advocacy, free Ayurveda services, and the H.P. Gooneratne Elders’ Day Care Centre in Rathmalana—have consistently aimed to enhance the physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of seniors. The Laxapathiya, Moratuwa Elders’ Day care centre will extend this impact, providing a safe and nurturing environment for more elders.”
HASL Executive Director Dr. Harsha Bandara said, “Social isolation can be as harmful as physical illness. Many elders in the Laxapathiya, Moratuwa area face economic hardship and few opportunities for engagement. This centre will replicate the H.P. Gooneratne Elders’ Day Care Centre in Rathmalana, keeping seniors active, socially connected, and emotionally supported. Community participation is key, and through targeted sponsorship, donors can make a direct difference.”
The facility will be built on a half-acre plot donated by the Lakshmi Nivasa Buddhist Society Ltd., and will include an activity hall, medical room, rest areas, kitchen, toilets, caretaker facilities, and a garden. Construction is already underway, following the foundation stone laying on 5 August 2025.
Families, corporates, and individuals can support the project through sponsorship, with special plaques awarded at certain sponsorship tiers in recognition of their contribution to this transformative initiative.
HASL Day Care Centre Laxapathiya,Moratuwa stone laying
