“SAHANA PIYASA” Project

‘Sahana Piyasa’ is a project by AGMS to provide families, coming to Colombo from rural areas seeking medical attention for their children, with free temporary lodging near the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), Colombo dedicated for children.

Many families travel from rural areas to admit children to LRH as it has facilities and treatments which are not found in hospitals elsewhere in Sri Lanka. Families have to spend several weeks or months in Colombo to attend to their children while they undergo treatment. Mothers especially want to be near their sick child, but the hospital is unable to accommodate family members. Therefore, most families have to find lodging nearby and many are not in a financial position to spend for extended periods of stay in Colombo.

Avant Garde identified the need and set up the ‘Sahana Piyasa’ centre to accommodate families free of charge to stay close to their children without spending for lodging. Located less than 100 m from LRH, it is the “home-away-from-home” for mothers and other family members to stay close to their hospitalized child at no cost.

Sahana Piyasa can accommodate 20 people at once. It provides protection, care and moral support for families, enabling them to live freely until their child is safe and healthy again.