“The “Saroja” project, launched to identify vulnerable children in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, has so far identified 5,506 children, a significant increase from the 912 previously recorded, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Varuna Jayasundara (Attorney-at-Law) announced during an awareness program in Trincomalee.

The event, which involved raising public awareness and pasting stickers on vehicles to mark vulnerable children within the Trincomalee Police Division, highlighted the project’s efforts to protect at-risk children and ensure their welfare. According to SDIG Jayasundara, the identification of vulnerable children over the past three months was made possible through the work of Public Security Committees.

In 2024 alone, twenty-four vulnerable children in the Eastern Province were reported to have suffered various forms of abuse. Under the “Saroja” project, the Sri Lanka Police have been able to identify these children and place them under proper care through the courts.

The project also includes a Foster Parent Scheme, under which a female police officer is assigned to each vulnerable child and monitors them once every two weeks. Additionally, the Police are working closely with communities and schools, raising awareness among Divisional Secretaries, establishing Child Protection Committees in every village, sensitizing school principals, and facilitating the enrollment of out-of-school children.

These initiatives are implemented by the Child and Women’s Bureaus across all fifty-seven police divisions in the Eastern Province. The program underscores a coordinated effort to ensure the safety, care, and proper development of vulnerable children.

The awareness event was attended by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) L. Y. Aruna Shamantha Chandrapala, Superintendent of Police (SP) J. L. Ajith Kumara, and other officials.