Helping Hands Charity


Being a developing country, 42% of Sri Lanka's population still live on under US$2 a day. We at The Bungalow @ Pantiya Estate are helping the less fortunate in the local community in our own little way.

Employees - All employees at The Bungalow are from the local village. Pantiya Estate further employs 20 men and women as tappers, tea pluckers, sundry workers and coconut pluckers. They depend on our employment to provide them with sufficient funding to feed and house their families. Most of our employees live in housing within Pantiya rubber estate rubber land (5 miles away from The Bungalow) which is provided by us as they have no housing of their own.

Ice cream - we all love ice cream! Every poya day (full moon day, which is a public holiday in Sri Lanka due to Buddhist traditions) we at The Bungalow donate 2 x gallon tubs of vanilla ice cream to the local temple, where villagers gather to observe Sila. From elders to children, the demand for ice cream is immense as this is considered a luxurious treat for them.

School kids - In January, when a new year of school starts in Sri Lanka, we at The Bungalow support local school children by providing them with books, pencils, erasers and crayons. This encourages the youth to go to school and study which will benefit them in the future. Most children are forced to work at a young age to support their families, however by trying to change this mind set and supporting them with school amenities, we can see that they are now keen on studies if they are given the option.

Other activities - ad hoc activities we do are inviting children to have a nice hearty lunch once a month courtesy of The Bungalow. As seen in the photos below, recently Jehan and Natascha from UK donated a carom board (popular board game in Sri Lanka) and cricket bat to the children of the village. Over 40 children now play with the new toys which they share amongst themselves. The surprise and happiness on their faces and excited chatter as they gathered around their new toys was priceless! Jehan and Natascha were warmly welcomed by the children who made handpicked flower necklaces and bouquets for them as a token of their appreciation. See images below.

If you wish to donate to the children in our village, you can do this personally when you stay with us (we will organise this during your stay) or leave your donations in our trustworthy hands knowing that we would pass on every penny to those who need it most.

Some suggestions on donations you can give are:

  • Second hand clothes adults or children (summer clothes please as it is warm all year round in Sri Lanka)
  • Food (ice cream or lunch - these can be organised by us bought locally from the market and prepared by our chef) 
  • Second hand Toys (for children of all ages) 
  • Colouring Books, Pens, Pencils, Erasers, 
  • Toffees, Chewing gum are all such welcomed treats which will put a wide smile on a child's face!