HELP MY FRIEND, STUCK IN SRI LANKA'S CIVIC UNREST
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Gregg, and I'm raising funds to help a friend and collaborator whose country has fallen into a state of chaotic unrest.
PLEASE take a couple of minutes to review this video, to get a better sense of why this "GoFundMe for a Friend" campaign is critical. If the link doesn't take you to YouTube, then copy & paste it into your browser: It will be worth it.
Please SHARE this appeal with friends and contacts on Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, email.
gofund.me/f/help-my-friend-trapped-in-sri-lanka-civic-unrest
I live in Los Angeles, California, where I've been for years, working as a screenwriter, journalist and consultant. I have two kids, one married and one heading off to college. Outside of writing, my passions are film and still photography. I've also delved into e-commerce and internet marketing.
Kris lives in the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. She has been involved in marketing and IT for a number of years, and when she had her children, she quit her regular job, which led her into freelance internet development. Which worked until the recent national collapse
Kris and I have been working together remotely for over a year, and she's a very dedicated, talented and honest web developer. She's been a stalwart supporter of my efforts, and the unexpected immediacy of her plight caught me off guard.
There are riots and protests in the streets, inflation is rampant, fuel is scarce, and groceries and supplies are limited in supply.
The unrest in Sri Lanka doesn't dominate the headlines like the Eastern European conflict, but it's real when you're living in it. Very real.
I've lost connection with two other team members in the Eastern European conflict, who had to shutter their businesses and relocate their families amid the ongoing conflict. They've fallen off the grid. So, I'm very sensitive to her current situation.
Sri Lanka is an island nation, near the lower tip of India. It's a land of tradition and great beauty. Of late, it's fallen into a precarious state, with both the president and the prime minister resigning and the country defaulting on international payments. The economy has collapsed, and Kris' local business has evaporated. I am one of her few ongoing foreign clients, and she's asked for my help in finding work. I have referred her to other people and no one has been less than delighted with her work. I have frontloaded my efforts for a few months. But it's a slow process, and while things may resolve in terms of the government in the coming weeks, it will be months, probably years, before the economy stabilizes.
HOW WILL THE FUNDS BE SPENT?
In terms of what these funds are for, I'd say, just about everything: food, rent, expenses for the kids transportation, you name it. Sri Lanka doesn't really have a socialized system of government supports in the first place, and whatever financial support was there is gone. Apparently large sums of money are unaccounted for.
HOW URGENT IS THE NEED?
The need is critical, because the country has ground to a halt, abruptly. The funds are needed now.
The goal of this campaign is $3,000, which is an educated estimate. The cost of living is much less there, but the country is being hit with inflation like every other country, particularly small nations that have to import necessities, which are themselves climbing in price. And when supplies of critical commodities are tight-to-nonexistent, costs can be unpredictable. I hope we can exceed that goal, because it's likely that economic instability will remain a fact of life. But it IS a place to start.
This isn't a bailout. There is no way of predicting when stability might return. It's a bridge to help Kris get to where she can reconstruct her life while her country seeks to do the same.
WHO'S THE MONEY GOING TO?
I am listed as the beneficiary, but this a technical nomenclature issue: Because Kris is in a foreign country where GoFundMe doesn't operate, the funds will be remitted to me and then transferred to her account. The funds will be paid through an international payment processing platform, and each transfer is documented. GoFundMe cares about these things, and so do I.
This GoFundMe was my idea, and when I mentioned it, Kris responded very emotionally, partly in gratitude, partly in sadness I'm sure, at being in the circumstance where it was necessary. She's an educated woman, and finding herself in this situation was probably nothing she ever contemplated.
Once again, VERY IMPORTANT REQUEST: Please SHARE this appeal with friends and contacts on Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, email.
Crowdfunding IS social media and it relies on personal credibility and social connection, mine and yours. It makes a profound difference in the reach and result of the crowdfunding effort. I've set a very modest goal, and I would be delighted to exceed that goal, with your help.
Kris and I will endeavor to respond to every donation.
Every bit helps, so please don't think you can't afford to assist.
Please do what you can.
The more the merrier and the more helpful, because small donations can add up.
And the more it is, the better it is.
It's all deeply appreciated.
Onward, in peace and strength.
Gregg
Organizer
Gregg Moscoe
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA
