In 1984, Dr. Pramilla Senanayake was vacationing in the beach town of Kalutara, Sri Lanka. There, she and her son befriended two young boys who could not afford to attend school. Although public education is free in Sri Lanka, children are required to provide their own uniforms, books, pencils, and shoes. Many families are too poor to buy these items, so their children do not attend school.

Dr. Senanayake personally outfitted the two boys for school, and for more than 25 years has added children each year to those she helps. Along the way, Dr. Senananyake founded the Educate a Child Trust, which today enables 872 children from 570 families to attend the "free" public schools in Kalutara. Dr. Senanayake purchases their supplies using mostly her own money along with funds donated by supporters in various countries.

In the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lanka suffered 41,008 dead, 4,916 missing, 12,482 injured and 889,175 displaced. More than 40,000 houses were lost. Kalutara took the full force of the tsunami, and 98 of Dr. Senanayake's EACT families suffered the loss or partial destruction of their homes and livelihoods.

To assist them, in 2005 Dr. Senanayake purchased property with her own funds, with faith that she could raise the funds to build 48 houses on the property. In October 2006, the Clinton Foundation provided funding to help rebuild 24 of these houses. The additional 24 houses were constructed with funds provided by other donors, including Clive and Michele Warshaw, Manilal Fernando, Frank Roijmans and Pramilla Senanayake. These houses were completed in August 2007.

It required an additional year for the Sri Lankan government to deliver water to the project, and in July 2008 the new community of 48 houses was formally dedicated.

In 2006 a group of benefactors led by John and Padmini Johns in San Diego, California, made a commitment to help Dr. Senanayake build a Community Center in the midst of the 48 houses. The Community Center was dedicated along with the houses in July 2008 and now provides after-school education programs , and health and family services to hundreds of EACT children and families, including those who live in the greater Kalutara area.

All of this was accomplished without assistance from any government.