MN
Member Name One
Chairman
Chairs the Board of Management and carries responsibility for the orphanage’s governance, its finances and its long-term direction.
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For over sixty years, Makola Muslim Orphanage has been a home for children who needed a place to belong, a chance to learn, and the care and guidance to build a better future.
Makola Muslim Orphanage began with a simple idea. Children who have lost the care of their families deserve a safe place to call home and every chance to build a good future. Since the beginning, MMO has cared for children through education, faith, guidance and everyday support. More than sixty years later, that same purpose remains at the heart of everything we do.
MMO opened its doors in Makola, just outside Colombo, with a two-storey building on a little over an acre of land. It began with just 16 children in its care.
Just four years later, MMO was officially recognised as an Approved Charity. This was an important milestone and reflected the trust MMO had already built within the community.
MMO was incorporated under the Makola Muslim Orphanage (Incorporation) Act No. 19 of 1983. This gave the organisation a formal legal foundation and supported its continued growth.
By 1984, MMO was caring for 269 children. The Makola campus could no longer accommodate everyone, making it clear that a larger home was needed.
In 1994, a second and much larger campus opened in Malwana, with space for up to 1,000 more children. Together, the two campuses could now accommodate around 1,250 children.
Today, MMO continues to operate both the Makola and Malwana campuses. Each campus has its own staff, teachers and wardens, all working together under one Board of Trustees and one shared mission.
MMO is governed by an elected Board of Trustees made up of respected members of the Muslim community, and operates as a Charitable Trust. That means no one profits from MMO there's no profit-sharing, no dividends, and board members don't receive fees. Any surplus is reinvested straight back into the orphanage and the children it supports.
In the early years, MMO relied almost entirely on donations from well-wishers. From 1977 onward, support grew significantly, including generous contributions from the Middle East. To avoid depending on donations alone, MMO also invests surplus funds in commercial property, using the rental income to help fund its work. Today, MMO's activities are funded through child sponsorship (Kafala), donor contributions, and rental income from these properties.
As set out in MMO's Act of Incorporation
Love, foster and care for needy Muslim orphans in line with the teachings of Islam.
Raise every child with a strong grounding in their faith and religious knowledge.
Give every child a proper education, both religious and academic.
Build and run homes, clinics, and training centres so children are cared for until they can support themselves.
Welcome donations and support from well-wishers in Sri Lanka and abroad to keep this work going.
Love, foster and care for needy Muslim orphans in line with the teachings of Islam.
Raise every child with a strong grounding in their faith and religious knowledge.
Give every child a proper education, both religious and academic.
Build and run homes, clinics, and training centres so children are cared for until they can support themselves.
Welcome donations and support from well-wishers in Sri Lanka and abroad to keep this work going.
MMO is run by an elected Board of Management, made up of respected members of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka who give their time to it. The orphanage is constituted as a Charitable Trust, which sets hard limits on what anyone can take out of it.
Chairman
Chairs the Board of Management and carries responsibility for the orphanage’s governance, its finances and its long-term direction.
Vice Chairman
Deputises for the Chairman and oversees the day-to-day running of both campuses.
Hony. Secretary
Keeps the Board’s records, convenes its meetings and handles correspondence with the authorities.
Hony. Treasurer
Responsible for the accounts, the annual audit and the reporting that follows it.
Trustee
Serves on the Board and supports the education and welfare of the children in care.
Trustee
Serves on the Board with a focus on the schools and their teaching staff.
Trustee
Serves on the Board, supporting fundraising and relations with partner institutions.
Trustee
Serves on the Board, with oversight of buildings, facilities and the Twin Tower project.
An orphanage that has never taken government money is standing today because particular people chose to carry it. Some gave land, some gave decades of their lives, and some gave quietly and asked not to be named.
Founder
1962
Principal Benefactor
1966–1994
Founding Trustee
1962–1990
Benefactor, Malwana Campus
1994
Patron of the Arabic College
1978
Long-serving Supporter
1984–present
Six decades of care has never been funded by the state. It has been carried by donors, and by charitable and government institutions at home and across the Middle East.
Kuwait Zakat House · 6th Orphans Forum, 2014
International Islamic Charitable Organization, Kuwait · Al-Darain Youth Charity Trip, 2014
Shura Council · Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Ministry of Islamic Affairs & Endowments · Madinah Region, Saudi Arabia
Replica of the Seal of the Prophet ﷺKuwait Zakat House · 6th Orphans Forum, 2014International Islamic Charitable Organization, Kuwait · Al-Darain Youth Charity Trip, 2014Shura Council · Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaMinistry of Islamic Affairs & Endowments · Madinah Region, Saudi ArabiaReplica of the Seal of the Prophet ﷺOur certificate reflects the formal recognition behind our work and reinforces the accountability we maintain in serving and caring for children at Makola Muslim Orphanage.
This registration is an important part of who we are: a trusted charitable institution committed to transparency, care, and long-term impact.
Official certificate of recognition