Sponsor a Child in Sri Lanka

 

At the southern tip of India, in the Indian Ocean, is the island nation of Sri Lanka where 460,000 people were displaced during a 30-year armed conflict within its borders. Slightly larger than the state of West Virginia, the country formerly known as Ceylon, is prone to a variety of natural disasters and the effects of the 2004 tsunami are still being felt.

High drop-out rates in secondary grades and youth unemployment and under-employment are major issues.

“My friends and I never dreamt big. We never participated in the community. I was shy. Then came ChildFund.”

— 17-year-old Susantha

Fighting Malnutrition and Disease

Nearly a third of Sri Lanka’s children under 5 are underweight and one in ten suffers from chronic or acute malnutrition. An estimated 19 percent of all newborns are moderately to severely malnourished.

Diarrhea, respiratory illness and accidental death are the three main contributors to the country’s 13 percent infant mortality rate.

We educate mothers to better care for their children. Many aren’t aware of proper nutrition, the importance of a healthy diet in a child’s young life or ways to prevent disease. We’ve trained health volunteers in communities who help educate others about nutrition, food preparation, personal hygiene and illness prevention. Seeds, fertilizer, tools and other technical supports are provided to families with children to help them start home gardens to ensure food security.

Education and Childcare Access

Many pre-school age children suffer from poor quality environments that do not meet learning standards. Some don’t attend school at all and young children of agricultural laborers, such as tea estate workers, are left in substandard childcare situations for long periods of time.

Our Early Childhood Development Centers and Child Friendly Schools supported by ChildFund help give children access to quality education to help them grow into productive young adults. We train preschool teachers to better prepare students for learning.

We also work through Youth Clubs where education, sports, health, nutrition, cultural and environmental programs reach more than 19,000 children.

“My friends and I never dreamt big. We never participated in the community. I was shy,” says 17-year-old Susantha. “Then came ChildFund.”

Sponsor a child in Sri Lanka and make a difference in a child’s life.
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Child Centered Spaces

When disaster strikes, we help children return to a sense of normalcy through Child Centered Spaces. In these areas, safety, security and structured activities are designed to help children continue to be children in spite of unsettled and harmful conditions.