The Fly & Help Foundation, Germany has opened its 1,000th school worldwide in Wennappuwa, Sri Lanka, in partnership with Outreach Foundation (HOF), marking a significant milestone in global education and advancing Sri Lanka’s commitment to early childhood education.
Founded in 2009 by Rainer Meutsch following an inspirational solo journey around the world, Germany’s Fly & Help is now active in 57 countries across three continents. Over the past 15 years, the Foundation has built hundreds of schools in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, working with trusted local partners to ensure that every donation directly benefits classrooms and gives thousands of children access to quality education. Since 2013, HOF has served as Fly & Help’s implementing partner in Sri Lanka, overseeing the completion of 31 preschools with the Piyawara programme. Fly & Help’s decision to establish the 1,000th global school in Sri Lanka is celebrated as a significant source of national pride.
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Rainer Meutsch – Founder – Fly & Help, Shiromi Masakorala – Executive Director of Hemas Outreach Foundation, Silanca Weihmann – Deputy Chairperson – Fly & Help, and Abbas Esufally Chairman – Hemas Outreach Foundation (HOF) / Group Director – Hemas Holdings PLC opening the 1,000th global school.
The newly built Piyawara preschool in Wennappuwa reflects both Sri Lanka’s role as a trusted partner and Fly & Help’s mission to expand access to education worldwide. Constructed on land allocated by the local council, the facility provides a safe and inspiring environment for 75 children, replacing inadequate conditions where the school had previously operated. Teachers appointed by the local council will now integrate into HOF’s established Piyawara preschool network.
Rainer Meutsch, Founder, Fly & Help, said, “The opening of our 1,000th school is a deeply moving milestone for me and for our entire foundation. Together with our partner in Sri Lanka, the Hemas Outreach Foundation, we celebrate not only a school, but a beacon of opportunity. Education is the key to a brighter future, and I am proud that Fly & Help has now been able to build 1,000 schools in 57 countries, giving children all over the world the chance to learn, dream, and shape their own lives.”
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