The Foundation is primarily a Bhikkhu Training Centre, providing residential training for monks from all over Sri Lanka. In recent years, the Sri Bodhiraja Foundation has gradually expanded its scope to include education, social welfare, rural development and disaster relief, gaining a reputation as one of the country’s most active religious charities. From its establishment in 1993, Founder Ven Omalpe Sobhita Thero recognised that for spiritual development to take place, the basic needs must be met. Hence besides teaching the dhamma and conducting religious services, he set out to uplift the mental and physical well-being of the people in this poor area by initiating various educational, welfare and socio-economic projects with the generous support of donors, both individuals and organisations in Sri Lanka and abroad. To date, thousands of families in Embilipitiya and its surroundings have benefited from these projects. The growth of the Foundation had also stimulated the development of the Embilipitiya area, especially in raising educational standards and bringing English to this relatively rural area. Through the indefatigable efforts of Venerable Sobhita Thero, the Foundation expanded its reach beyond Embilipitiya. In the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami disaster, the Foundation, with the support of foreign and local donors, built 600 houses for the many displaced victims and helped them to rebuild their lives. The Foundation’s Meditation Centre at Rakwana offers a sanctuary for the soul and the community water project has made life easier for more than 2000 families in many impoverished villages.