On 10 July 2024, Wickramarachchi Hearing Care and WISH Foundation were honoured to participate in a special donation programme at the Sri Lanka Air Force Headquarters in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
The event was organised by the SLAF Seva Vanitha Unit under its "Husma Plan" initiative — a welfare programme dedicated to securing better futures for the children of serving Air Force members. The programme was held under the auspices of the Chairperson of the Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit, Mrs. Enoka Rajapaksa.
The Children at the Centre of It
Two children of serving SLAF personnel, both diagnosed with severe hearing impairment, received high-value hearing aids through the programme.
The first recipient was the one-year-and-two-month-old son of Corporal Warnasooriya WMJR, who received a hearing aid valued at Rs. 1.6 million, including a BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) device. BAHA technology uses bone conduction to bypass damaged parts of the ear, and is particularly significant for certain types of hearing loss that conventional hearing aids cannot address.
The second recipient was the twelve-year-old son of Leading Aircraftman Ruwan Kumara HV, who received a hearing aid valued at Rs. 1.8 million.
Both children had been under the ongoing care of Dr. ADKSN Yasawardhane of Lady Ridgeway Hospital, who supervised their progress and participated in the programme on the day.
Our Role
Chairman Mihira Wickramarachchi and Chief Technology Officer Cole Lomas attended as special invitees representing J.M. Wickramarachchi & Company PVT Ltd.
The hearing aids were funded through the generosity of the SLAF Seva Vanitha Unit's donors and well-wishers. Behind the scenes, WISH Foundation worked with J.M. Wickramarachchi & Company PVT Ltd to ensure the devices were made available at a significantly reduced cost, stretching the value of every rupee donated and making it possible to support both children within the programme's budget.
This is one of the ways WISH operates. We are not always the headline donor. Sometimes the most useful thing we can do is use our relationships and resources to make other people's generosity go further.
Hearing loss in young children, particularly when unaddressed, has a direct impact on speech development, learning, and social participation. Intervening early — especially with the right technology — changes the trajectory of a child's life.
A Note on the SLAF Seva Vanitha Unit
The Sri Lanka Air Force Seva Vanitha Unit has been supporting the welfare of Air Force families since 1983. The "Husma Plan" is one of its flagship initiatives, identifying children in need and mobilising donors and specialists to provide targeted support. It is a model of what purposeful community welfare looks like in practice.
We are grateful to have been part of it.
Could We Help Someone You Know?
Hearing loss is one of the most underdiscovered and undertreated conditions in Sri Lanka. Many families — military and civilian alike — do not know where to start or what is available to them.
If you know a child or adult who may be living with unaddressed hearing loss, WISH Foundation and Wickramarachchi Hearing Care are here to help. We offer free hearing screenings and can advise on the most appropriate path forward.
