Life in Sri Lanka
As a tropical island, Sri Lanka is consistently at risk of extreme weather events. Flooding presents the greatest risk, with over 10 million people affected in the past 30 years, followed by cyclones and drought. This impacts agriculture, resulting in 17% of the population experiencing food insecurity.
Sri Lanka is in ongoing economic crisis (since 2019), causing unprecedented levels of inflation and shortages in supplies. The uncertain living conditions are causing many people to make the difficult decision to leave their home.
Sahan is 9 years old with 5 younger siblings. When Child Action Lanka (CAL) centres are open on Monday to Friday, Sahan and his brothers and sisters can get a meal. But weekends are hard. On Saturday and Sunday, he is left to feed and care for the younger children while his parents go to work.
To buy food for himself and his siblings, Sahan sells pocket calendars and little cards. With that money, he’s able to buy one pack of fried rice and chicken that he shares amongst them all. While that may not sound like much, it makes Sahan feel like a hero… earning money to provide food for his family.
Our partner in Sri Lanka, CAL, was founded to create a place of safety and support for children by providing food, education and community. CAL have nine centres across Sri Lanka, with 140 staff and volunteers to feed and educate 2000 children each day.
It is their mission to provide the foundational blocks for these children to build a good life for themselves. Because life is so hard for kids like Sahan, CAL staff work very hard to make a difference with your support.
Christmas Card Project
Many children in Sri Lanka are from Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim families, so Christmas is not as widely celebrated there as it is in western nations. Fortunately, the caring staff of Child Action Lanka provide every opportunity for children to hear about Jesus and the true story of Christmas.
Each of the nine centres have a big Christmas celebration with a party, tree decorating and a concert. During the concert, the birth of Christ is explained so the children understand what Christmas really means. This is especially important since Christian worship is essentially outlawed, making this one of the few faith events they participate in.
So when they receive a personal Christmas card from their friends in Australia, it ministers the love of Jesus in a very real and practical way.
Thank you for making a difference in the lives of these children.