Led by sheer will, inspired by the late ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson and backed by SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka (SOSCVSL); Shane Manohara Rajapaksa, who is an SOS youth took the first step towards his dream career in music, releasing his first single - 'Wannama', on Friday 22nd March, 2019 at SOS Children’s Villages, Piliyandala.

Speaking about this monumental moment in his life, Shane, said: “I have always admired Michael Jackson’s music and dreamt of becoming an artiste like him one day and I am excited to have this much appreciation and support for my ambition. I’m humbled by everyone’s positive reactions to the song and I hope to continue making and sharing my music with more people around the country.”

Joining SOSCVSL at the age of 10, Shane always grew up with the dream of performing in front of crowds and has already organized three musical concerts, with the aim of doing more in the future. At present, Shane is employed at Colombo International Academy of Training & Standard Institute.

Commenting on Shane’s achievement, Divakar Ratnadurai - National Director, SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka, said: “We are extremely happy and proud about Shane and the steps he has taken to realize his dreams. He’s a great example of passion and dedication, which I am sure, will inspire not just his brothers and sisters at SOSCVSL, but also those around the country.  At SOSCVSL, we always encourage our children to find their passions and we support them in every way we can to ensure they find their calling in life and use the opportunities they get to inspire others.”

The first ever SOS Children’s Village in Sri Lanka was established with 16 family houses in Piliyandala. The Village has been home for three generations of children and the present children in the SOS families at Piliyandala are the fourth generation. At present the number of children in the Village is 135 in 16 different families. More than 307 children have been successfully integrated into society during the past 37 years. As a specially designed drive in 2017, SOSCV International successfully launched the ‘YouthCan!’ initiative, through which, together with corporates and other partners, the formation aims to increase its impact on the lives of vulnerable children and young people around the world whilst actively contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and efficiently working to reduce youth unemployment.