Little Smile, financed by Michael Kreitmeir, is a relief project and donations for Singhalese and Tamil children in need. The main project, children’s village Little Smile Koslanda in the mountains of Sri Lanka, was started in 1999, funded and built by TV journalist and director Michael Kreitmeir. Since then it has been enlarged continuously. Today it comprises five children houses, working quarters, a school, a training centre, a sewing school, a Buddhist temple and Hindu Kovil, a guest house, staff quarters and a traditional house for meetings.

The Tsunami catastrophe and its results changed life in and around the Little Smile children’s village. A lot of time and energy is invested in Tsunami aid, but it is very important to concentrate also on the work in children’s village Little Smile and to care for its children. Houses for Tsunami victims have been built, schools have been repaired, and kindergartens opened.

Still under construction are a hospital building in the city of Kalmunai in the east and a community centre as well as a home for girls in Galle at the south coast. The civil war, which has broken out again, makes work in the crisis regions much more difficult. Despite the dangers, founder Michael Kreitmeir lives most of the time in the two children’s homes in the crisis region at the east coast, to allow for more security for the children there.

For organizations which work seriously for reconciliation, peace and fairness in Sri Lanka, the situation is becoming increasingly more difficult. If campaigns of lies are not working, more and more violence is used. The permanent changes in official regulations and new rules make encouraged social work more and more difficult. But Michael Kreitmeir and his team are not frightened and will continue to be there for children and mothers with children in need, no matter which race or religion they belong to.

Working for peace is important for Little Smile in all its projects. To live together and learn from each other is cultural exchange, but, moreover, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Moslems, as well as Singhalese and Tamils live together in peace in the children’s village Koslanda.

Together we care about nature protection (the Little Smile nature park provides a home for 2 rare wild animals because 100 ha mountain jungle is protected against clearing and poaching). In addition to this biological farming, production and use of herbal medicine is learned as well. Further activities are generating power out of biogas and protection of water.