Educational Support for 27 Schoolchildren – 2019

Date: 22 December 2019
Areas: Homagama, Walpita, Kosgama, Hanwella, Dedigamuwa, Habarakada and surrounding areas
Project: Educational Assistance for Children from Families Facing Financial Hardship
Beneficiaries: Approximately 27 schoolchildren

As part of a community initiative I had continued for several years, I organised an educational assistance programme in December 2019 to provide school supplies to approximately 27 children from families experiencing financial hardship.

With the support of my school friends, former colleagues and other friends, families requiring assistance were identified through personal contacts. Rather than purchasing identical packages for everyone, we contacted the families beforehand and recorded the specific books, stationery and other educational items required by each child.

A particularly important aspect of the initiative was that we did not organise a conventional distribution event. Instead, we travelled directly to the children's homes and personally delivered the supplies, covering Homagama, Walpita, Kosgama, Hanwella, Dedigamuwa, Habarakada and nearby areas.

During the visits, we encountered families facing difficult circumstances, including households with children with special educational needs, large families struggling with limited income, children whose father was undergoing treatment for severe kidney failure, and families living with extremely limited basic facilities.

The experience made this initiative much more than a school-supply distribution project. It provided a direct understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable families within our own communities and reinforced my belief that meaningful community service does not always require large-scale programmes.

We may not be able to solve the difficulties of every family, but we can make a meaningful difference to at least one family or one child with the resources available to us.

This initiative was made possible through the generosity of friends who contributed funds and materials and those who personally joined me in visiting the families and delivering the educational supplies.