Second chances in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan girl smiles in the classroom

“When I started out, street people were not something I noticed on the road”, explains Debbie, “They were there but they didn’t have a face or were known to me. I just passed them and went by. “But now that I have been working with them, I know all of them by name and they know me by name. I have seen their lives, I know all the stories, I know what is going on in their lives.”

Debbie Edirisinge is the founder of CHILD ACTION LANKA (CAL), our Sri Lankan charity partner that is part of our global “Full Life” feeding program.

Profile photo of Debs Edrisinghe, Director of Child Action Lanka

Since 20016 they have changed the lives of thousands of children across the country: from their hometown in central Kandy, to Colombo in the West, Nuwara Eliya to the South, Batticaloa in the East, and in far north Killochchi.

“We would have no idea how to live on the streets. It’s a completely different situation. The best way to explain it is, if you were forced to live on the streets suddenly, you would have no idea how to do that, no clue!” shares Debbie.

Can you imagine a vagrant life with no place to call your home? Where the streets are your living room, the alleyway is your bedroom. Where you might have to share a bathroom with wild animals?

Sri Lankan toddlers play cricket in the backyard

And that’s why we are grateful to Debbie and her team who take Mathew 22:9 seriously:

“Go to the street corners
and invite anyone you find
to the banquet.“

Photo of a child's back wearing a shirt with the school's logo Child action Lanka Galle

“We are really privileged to be on the front row of their lives”, beams Debbie Edrisinghe, “For 13 years we have seen first hand how their lives can change. Many children have graduated from the whole cycle of CAL”

A young Sri Lankan boy poses for photo
Education in Sri Lanka is free and available to all through the public system. However the CAL students have no guarantee of being taught in the main schools according to Debbie.

Group of Sri Lankan children praying over their meals before eating

“The philosophy of Karma is very strong in my country of Sri Lanka.”, laments Debbie, “ Teachers have the idea that they are meant to suffer in this lifetime so there is no need to help them, going so far as to think helping them in this life may extend their suffering into their next life. So we have to teach them at our centres and help them to pass their exams.“

Smiling Sri Lankan Boy sits on the floor smiling

“Sometimes CAL has been required to stand up for them in the courts… otherwise it is easy to ignore them, our support forces them to take it as a serious matter. We create a face and a name for the faceless and nameless community.

“In the High School Years, I try to tell the children that I understand they were not really given any opportunities at birth but this is your second chance at life.

Young Sri Lankan child playing with her doll
So dream big. Whatever it is you want to do, I believe God’s favour is on their life to do that. And we have been able to help them achieve their dreams.

Sri Lankan boy eating his daily meal

“Thanks to FTH and the amazing support that has been happening for years and years and years we are able to provide meals to most of the children in our program.

“In Kandy babies and younger children get three meals a day and older children sometimes take the leftovers home. So that no kid goes away hungry.

“So thank you partners of Feed The Hungry… you made that possible!”