My name is Jesse. I was born in Sri Lanka and adopted by a Belgian family, where I grew up. A few years ago, I chose to return to Sri Lanka to find my roots. I’ve been living here in Kalpitiya ever since, close to the communities and people who have become my home again.

In the wake of the devastating typhoon that struck Sri Lanka, many of our friends, families, and neighbours in Kalpitiya and Kandy are facing the hardest days of their lives. Homes have been damaged, entire areas are without electricity, and some communities no longer have access to clean, running water. People who just days ago were living their normal lives are now struggling to meet even the most basic needs.

We are raising funds to bring urgent relief where it’s needed most. With your help, we can:

• Rent generators for families who have been in the dark for days

• Bring water pumps to restore access to safe water

• Deliver drinking water and essential food packs to those who have nothing left

For us, this is personal. These are people we know—people who have welcomed us with kindness, shared their homes, and stood by us. Now they need us to stand by them.

Every donation, big or small, provides real hope and real help.

Thank you for opening your heart to Sri Lanka during this moment of pain and rebuilding.

Kind regards,

Jesse

P.S. Power has been restored in my area, and Wi-Fi is minimally available. I can use WhatsApp and Instagram, but regular internet is still very slow and difficult. Even creating this page took two days before the signal was strong enough to load the website again. We still do not have a 4G signal. This means that when I am outside, I cannot reply to messages online. I will try to upload as many updates as possible and document everything I can.