Coronavirus Emergency Appeal - Lockdown Affected

We're students & graduates working to provide educational support for underprivileged young children who reside in the North East of Sri Lanka. As much as our efforts will be directed to the needs of those in need, as a student union, we equally strive to provide opportunities, advice and help that allow Tamil students in the UK to meet their aspirations.

Currently the whole world is going through a very tough time due to the outbreak of COVID-19 which has economic and societal consequences. Many families in NE of Sri Lanka are struggling to survive due to the imposed curfew/lockdowns which has placed enormous financial burden on them. Many can't go work and earn money in order to afford basic needs including food for their families and are relying heavily on external support.

How can we help :

We want to help them and are working with Vinmeenkal charity organisation back home who we've worked closely with in the past during the flood relief appeal in 2018. Their team have kindly volunteered to be on the grounds to distribute emergency food packages purchased from the money fundraised by UKTSU. They'll be focusing their work in Mullaitheevu and Kilinochchi initially where they have identified 90-100 families who they can help. Depending on how much we raise, we can help many more and many more areas.

Food essential packages for families :
Vinmeenkal organisation will have a group of young men and women who will volunteer to put packages together and distribute them to families that'll last for at least a week. These emergency packages will aim to include (depending on supplies) :
- Rice
- Flour
- Sugar
- Dhal 
- Oil 
- Vegetables including tomatoes, potatoes, aubergine and pumpkin

We call the entire community to come together and help us reach our target so that many families back home can be supported.

" We're only strong as the weakest link on the chain, and until the weakest links in the global chain are addressed we're not going to be able to have a return to anything like a normality for the rest of us who are in a privileged position. " 
- International Rescue Committee president and CEO David Miliband.