Help Rebuild My Mother's Home in Sri Lanka After a Storm

Dear Community,

My mother, Wasantha Abeysinghe, who is 73 years old, lives alone in Battarmulla, Sri Lanka. In early June, due to hurricane-like winds, significant parts of the roof of my mother’s house were ripped off. This was a complete shock and has left my Amma (my mother) extremely shaken.

My name is Thanu Yakupitiyage. I have lived in New York for fifteen years and have worked here as an immigrant rights and climate justice advocate and a culture worker. My sister, who also lives in New York, is a mother and a nonprofit worker. We need your support to help raise funds to rebuild our Amma’s home, which she has lived in for three decades.

In the last year, my sister and I have been hit with large, unexpected out-of-pocket expenses to cover our father’s heart surgeries. On top of that, our mother unfortunately does not qualify for government assistance to repair that damage to her house, nor is there insurance that covers it. This is why we are now turning to our community in hopes of raising $20,000 to support our mother to rebuild her home. This will allow our mother to make necessary structural repairs to ensure that another climate disaster does not cause more havoc, and to support her well-being.

While thankfully, our Amma was not hurt in the storm, there is significant roof and water damage to the house. My sister and I were able to provide initial support to get the immediate parts fixed. This fundraiser is to support the costs of 1) completely replacing the roof, 2) removing toxic mold that can build up after a storm, 3) re-painting the entire house, 4) Addressing structural issues from years of disrepair to ensure the house is completely safe from other storms.

My Amma is a retired school teacher. She loves plants and nature and has created a beautiful garden around her house. She is a gentle and kind woman.

Any amount that you can support to help reach our goal would be greatly appreciated. I know a lot is happening in the world, and I do not ask for support lightly. All funds raised will be sent to my mother in Sri Lanka to support repairs.

[UPDATE: We are so grateful for the outpouring of support in the last 24 hours; it is stunning and beyond touching. We have met our goal and are now striving to our "stretch goal" of $25,000. The additional support will go to Amma's well-being. We are $3357 away from reaching this final goal. We cannot thank this community enough for your care and we commit to paying it forward over and over again.]

Thank you so much for considering.

Please see photos of the house and structural damage attached.

Here are photos of our mother in her garden with me and my sister