On the morning of 3 May 2025, a team of four optometrists and two audiologists from WISH Foundation and Wickramarachchi Opticians and Hearing Care set up clinic inside the halls of SOS Children's Village in Piliyandala.
By 1:00 pm, we had screened 139 people.
This was not a large-scale government programme. It was not a corporate event. It was a few hours of focused, practical care for children and mothers who deserved it.
How This Came Together
The event was part of the "Pitch 2 Pitch" campaign, an initiative led by the New Zealand High Commission. His Excellency David Pine, High Commissioner of New Zealand to Sri Lanka, joined us on the day.
Representing WISH Foundation and J.M. Wickramarachchi & Company PVT Ltd were Chairman Mihira Wickramarachchi, Managing Director Liza Wickramarachchi, and CTO Cole Lomas.
Partnerships like this one matter to us. When organisations with different strengths come together around a shared purpose, things get done. The New Zealand High Commission brought the platform. WISH Foundation and Wickramarachchi brought the clinical team, the equipment, and the supplies.
What We Did
We offered vision screening, hearing screening, and otoscopy — a check of the ear canal — to both children and caregivers at the village. A total of 139 individuals were seen by our team of four optometrists and two audiologists.
Everyone who needed corrective lenses received a pair, manufactured in-house at the J.M. Wickramarachchi laboratory and delivered directly to the village. Every child at the camp was given a pair of UV-protective sunglasses to take home.
Those who needed follow-up care were guided on appropriate next steps through the SOS Children's Village team.
What Struck Us That Day
SOS Children's Village runs a remarkable operation. The facilities are well maintained. The staff are organised, warm, and clearly invested in the children in their care.
What stays with us is how straightforward unmet need can be. Most of what we found was treatable or manageable. Glasses. Ear wax. A hearing test. Small things that make a significant difference to how a child learns, communicates, and participates in the world.
One of our audiologists noted that several of the children who were referred for further testing may have been living with reduced hearing for some time without anyone knowing. Hearing loss in children rarely announces itself. It shows up quietly — as difficulty in school, or slower speech development, or a child who seems distracted in class.
That is exactly why community screening matters.
A Note of Thanks
To the team at SOS Children's Village Piliyandala: thank you for trusting us with your community's care. You made the day run smoothly, and the warmth of your staff made a real difference.
To the New Zealand High Commission and His Excellency David Pine: thank you for creating the opportunity and for showing up in person. It means something.
Could We Do This for Your Community?
If you represent a school, children's home, employer, NGO, or community organisation and you think your people would benefit from a screening programme like this one, we would love to hear from you.
WISH Foundation can organise mobile eye and hearing screening camps tailored to your needs, backed by the clinical expertise and laboratory facilities of J.M. Wickramarachchi & Company PVT Ltd.
