Sagarika* belonged to a family of eight that included her parents and five siblings. The three girls including Sagarika spent their days in Child Development Centres and the boys resided with their parents. The two elder sons went to school while the youngest remained at home. Each day dawned with new challenges and Sagarika’s mother …
Sellam Sivanathan hails from Kumarasamipuram and is the father of four young children. His village is in rural Mullaitivu which was among the areas worst affected by the 30-year armed conflict. This war robbed lives, homes, livelihoods and the dignity of thousands of families hailing from all parts of the country. For years, Sellam faced …
Sureniya, Sathyabaama and Dilani are three friends following a course in nursing at St. Anne’s Nurse Training Academy in Kotagala. On 27 August 2019, they joined with their classmates to take part in an art competition on barriers to women’s economic empowerment which was held at the District Secretariat in Nuwara Eliya. Divided into teams, …
Shanthi and several other females in her community in Kahahengama, Kuruwita gather once a week under the shade of trees in a neighbour’s garden. Unlike any other neighbourhood gathering, the ladies of this community attend this weekly meeting to discuss their business enterprises and how they can further develop these ventures. Even though most of …
PROMOTING FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG RURAL COMMUNITIES Read More »
Thilina is a 35-year-old single mother of two young children. The tragic bomb explosion at St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya on Easter Sunday in 2019 has left Thilina paralysed with a spinal cord injury and has also robbed her of sight in her left eye. Her beautiful smile and pleasant demeanour do not betray the untold …
THILINA’S STORY: RESPONDING TO THE EASTER SUNDAY CRISIS Read More »
The untimely demise of Shirani’s husband weighed heavily upon her but she did not have time to grieve her loss as the burden of her family’s well-being was now her lot. For 7 long years, Shirani has borne the weight as her family’s breadwinner, providing for the needs of her two children, her elderly parents …
Rizna* was the youngest in her family and was cared for by an aging grandmother since her father abandoned her family and her mother was employed overseas. Embittered by her circumstances, Rizna grew up to be a stubborn teenager who would leave the house whenever a dispute would arise. In fact, it was unusual for …
Gihan* was born into a privileged family in Colombo that owned a thriving business in selling fish and dried fish. Gihan was only 19 years old when he first experimented with drugs. As the years progressed, Gihan’s addiction worsened and his relationship with his family deteriorated. As a result of the numerous arguments he had …
Vinodh hails from a little village in Kilinochchi. The rains first started when he was on his school term-end vacation. The rain brings so many possibilities for little boys like Vinodh. But, in a corner of their little minds, there is always a fear of the disasters that the rain could cause. One gloomy day, …
Preschool is often full of fun and enjoyable activities. The little children find themselves learning important life skills and improving cognitive abilities in a fun environment that is conducive to learning. Studies show that these formative years of a child are vital to their physical, intellectual and psychosocial development. Among the popular tools used at …
