Financial aid for children of families affected by human-elephant conflict

The Board of Control of the President’s Fund, which met under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has decided to introduce a new financial assistance program to support children from families affected by wild elephant attacks, aiming to ensure that the children can continue their education despite the hardships caused by human-elephant conflict.

Priority for assistance will be given to families who have lost family members or suffered injuries due to elephant attacks. Additionally, families who have faced property or crop damage caused by elephants may also apply for financial aid.

Under the program, eligible families must be verified by the Divisional Secretary and must have children currently studying between Grade 1 and G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L).

To qualify, families must have been affected by elephant attacks on or after January 1, 2025, and must not already be receiving benefits from the G.C.E. A/L Scholarship Program administered by the President’s Fund.

The program, set to launch on April 1, 2025, will provide:

Rs. 3,000 per month for up to 12 months for a selected child studying in Grades 1 to 11.
Rs. 5,000 per month for up to 12 months for a selected child studying in Grades 12 and 13.

Application Process

Divisional Secretaries across the country have been instructed to gather details of eligible children within their respective divisions. Applications must be submitted under their personal supervision, along with recommendations, to the Secretary of the President’s Fund for approval.