Since 2023 the Weedagama Foundation has focused on small rural elementary schools—helping students in kindergarten through grade five with daily meals, supplies, connectivity, and programs chosen with school leadership. That work continues at our partner schools in the Matara district.

We are now expanding our mission to include pre-K schools: early childhood programs where families often face the steepest out-of-pocket costs and where a strong start can shape years of learning ahead.

Why pre-K

Rural families in Sri Lanka may defer or stretch early enrollment when tuition, uniforms, and supplies add up. Pre-K and kindergarten programs sit outside the same public support structures as later grades. Yet the years before primary school are when children build routines, language, and confidence in the classroom.

We heard this directly from teachers and parents in communities we already serve. Expanding to pre-K is a natural next step—not a departure from our focus on small schools, but an extension of it.

Starting with one pilot school

We add partners deliberately, one step at a time. Our first pre-K pilot is Golden Star Pre-School in Dampalla—the same careful approach we used when we began with a single elementary partner in 2023.

Golden Star serves young children before they enter primary grades. Through the pilot we are learning how tuition support, classroom materials, and coordination with school leadership fit the pre-K context. Every expense is documented and reviewed through the same approval process we use for elementary projects, so support stays accountable and sustainable.

What the pilot includes

  • Tuition support — helping families keep children enrolled in pre-K rather than delaying entry because of fees
  • Classroom and learning materials — supplies appropriate for early childhood classrooms
  • Partnership with school leadership — priorities set together, with foundation staff reviewing requests before funds are released

We are not opening the pre-K program to every school at once. The pilot lets us refine guidelines, reporting, and funding categories before we consider additional pre-K partners.

Same standards, broader reach

Our elementary partners remain at the center of daily meal service, technology, after-school programs, and the other work described on our news page. The pre-K pilot adds a parallel track for early childhood—same transparency, same step-by-step growth.

If you support our work, thank you. Gifts through our donate page help sustain programs at partner schools, including this pilot. The Weedagama Foundation is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) charitable organization; contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Looking ahead

We will share updates as the Golden Star pilot progresses—what is working, what we adjust, and when we are ready to invite a second pre-K partner. Early childhood education deserves the same long-term commitment we bring to elementary schools, and we are glad to begin that work in Dampalla.