OUR WORK

Kithma* (name changed) is a nine-year-old girl from a rural community in Sri Lanka. Her father Shantha* is now struggling to provide adequate food for his children – a situation exacerbated by the economic crisis. Following Save the Children’s support to the government’s school meal programme, Kithma* started attending school more regularly, as she received a well-balanced and nutritious morning meal. Sejani Wilegoda/ Save the Children

Manuja* and Kavisha* stand infront of their school, having just spoken to us about how they wish they had better school meals. Through a USDA funded programme, Save the Children is providing match funding with the Governments school meal programme and providing food commodities to vulnerable communities across 8 districts in Sri Lanka. Chrruti Pieres/ Save the Children

Vimala* is a widowed mother of two boys. She lives in Kilinochchi, situated in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, with her two sons (15 and 19 years), and elderly mother (80 years). Vimala* was engaged as a team leader to clear the blocked waterways in her village and help safeguard the community from the effects of climate change. She is using cash assistance provided by Save the Children to pay for her family's household expenses as well as cover the costs of her youngest child's tuition fees. Shehan Obeysekera/ FOLD Media / Save the Children

Thisuri* is an 11-year-old girl who lives with her mother, Preethika*, her father, Suren*, and her two sisters, Amaya* (8) and Hiruni* (1), in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka. In 2022, her family was chosen as a beneficiary of Save the Children Sri Lanka's USAID/BHA-funded cash assistance program. Thisuri* attends school and is passionate about learning. Her dream is to become a dance teacher, as she loves to dance. Over the past year, life has changed drastically for Thisuri* and her family. Soaring inflation, caused by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, has made basic necessities like food, clothing and books unaffordable for many marginalized urban poor families like Thisuri’s*. Children in these families are most affected, as their parents struggle to make ends meet. As Thisuri* shared, she and her sisters cannot even imagine enjoying the little things they used to, like having chocolates and ice cream. Thisuri’s* father is a daily wage earner, making a living through carpentry related work. One days he works, he earns about LKR 2000 (USD 5.5) a day, and the family depends on this income for all their household needs. Preethika*, Thisuri’s* mother, struggles to ensure all three of her children receive a well-balanced meal every day. Even simple nutritional foods, such as eggs and yoghurt, have become too expensive for the family to afford, limiting the items Preethika* is able to feed her children. On most days, she is forced to prioritize her toddler’s nutrition. With the support of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), Save the Children provided Thisuri* and her family with two tranches of cash assistance amounting to LKR 37,000 (USD 101.2). Preethika* was able to meet her daughter’s nutritional needs, and bought foods like milk, eggs, a nutritional cereal, meat and fish. Additionally, she was also able to buy her daughters new clothes, lunch boxes and water bottles, a new school bag, and pencil cases, which will help their education and wellbeing. She was also able to clear her previous debt and pay for her children’s tuition fees, ensuring their learning continues. Chrruti Pieres/ Save the Children