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Hi, my name is Manoj Kaushalya Rathnayake. I’m now reaching out from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada because this is no ordinary time for my homeland, my friends, relatives and many affected by the Cyclone Dithwah.
In late November 2025, Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka with devastating force. Torrential rains triggered massive floods and landslides across the island, creating what many are calling the worst flooding disaster in a decade.
As of November 29, more than 833,000 people (over 230,000 families) have been affected across 25 districts. The death toll has risen to 159, with over 200 people still missing. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes. Many are now displaced, living in temporary shelters like schools, while others remain stranded in remote flood-hit villages. Basic infrastructure has collapsed, entire communities are without power or clean water, roads are blocked, and many remote areas remain cut off from external aid.
Local authorities, the military, and the local NGOs are doing their best — they’re rescuing families, distributing food, and operating relief centres. But the scale of the disaster is overwhelming. Many remote and rural communities are simply not receiving enough help.
That’s where we can — and must — step in.
As someone born in Sri Lanka and who has spent my life caring deeply about its land, communities, and ecosystems, this moment breaks my heart. I have seen how quickly extreme weather fuelled by our changing climate can turn people’s lives upside down. As a conservation biologist, I believe in resilience: in ecosystems, and in communities.
Right now, thousands of families, especially in remote, rural, or underserved areas, lack access to necessities: cooking facilities, clean food, diapers and baby products, hygiene supplies for women, and dry foods to sustain them while they wait for longer-term support. Among whom I have my friends, family members and people I know as well.
I’m launching this GoFundMe to raise funds so we can help Sri Lanka as a group. Funds will be spent to;
1. Send immediate monetary support through the official donation channel established by the government of Sri Lanka to assist recovery operations. We aim for 500,00 LKR for https://donate.gov.lk/ account.
2. Distribute baby supplies and women’s hygiene kits, often overlooked during disaster response. We are working with ground crew to find places in Kandy, Hasalaka, Badulla and many other areas where people are asking for help. We are allocating another 1000,000 LKR for that.
3. Provide dry food hampers, water purification supplies, and essential household items to displaced families.
4. Collaborate with trusted local partners — including the Sri Lanka Red Cross, grassroots food kitchens, and community-based relief teams — to ensure aid reaches those who need it most, especially in remote villages where government or large NGOs have trouble reaching. Also, the Sri Lankan diaspora in Canada is helping me raise funds and send a collective sum to Sri Lanka as part of this effort.
I believe that even small contributions can make a huge difference. A handful of dry food packs can feed a family for several days; a hygiene kit can restore dignity and health during a deeply distressing time.
“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”
Please see my CBC NB radio interview, calling for donations for more information.
Dec. 2, 2025: Sri Lankan Support - CBCNB Shift
Homes and businesses have been destroyed in Southeast Asia following a cyclone, heavy rain and mudslides. We find out how the local Sri Lankan community is responding to the devastation.
Thank you!!
Kaushalya Rathnayake
614, Graham Avenue, Fredericton, NB