Sri Lanka: Food Packet Initiative

Hi, my name is Evan Fernando, and I'm 17 years old. I was born in 2007, in the heart of Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the tender age of 8, I had to move to the United States, a country that I haven't even heard of until then.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2022, my family and I were planning to go to Sri Lanka just for vacation, to rekindle family connections. Less than a month before we were planning to go, Sri Lanka's economic crisis steepened, and the plight of Sri Lankans deepened to a point in which I could not just "vacation". I could not let it be in my heart to stand back and stand by, while the common person suffers. I could not live my summer vacation in luxury.

So, less than 3 weeks before I went to Sri Lanka, I created the Food Packet Initiative- an initiative with a goal to feed 1,000 hot meals to people in Sri Lanka. This goal seemed to be impossible, but less than 3 months later, I was able to double that goal and raise enough money to feed around 2,000 hot meals to people in Sri Lanka.

Now this, is where I am now. 2,000 hot meals later Sri Lankans still go through daily struggles. The Food Packet Initiative has now a new and more drastic goal. As this initiative advances forward, we will distribute it on a more widespread scale. From urban to rural. From local to districts to a national scale.

How bad is the plight of Sri Lankans?

Sources state that millions upon millions on the small island of Sri Lanka are on food assistance, many of them being children. Due to the sky-high food inflation (80%), children are suffering in the millions.

"Around 11.7 percent of people in Sri Lanka earn less than USD 3.20 per day"

So what can one meal do?

A meal for those who are fortunate to live in a wealthy country may not mean much, but to those who live in a low-income country like Sri Lanka, it means a lot. So what exactly can a meal do? A meal can give hope to the hopeless, happiness to those in sorrow, and love to those who feel unloved.

New Years Focus:

As of 2023, the Save Sri Lanka: Food Packet Intiative will be focusing on the people of Sri Lanka that are hurt most, yet are seen the least: children.

In 2023, the Save Sri Lanka: Food Packet Initiative plans to help the children in Sri Lanka on a much greater level. Why? Because children did not ask for the Sri Lankan crisis: children did not cause the Sri Lankan crisis; and the children of Sri Lanka deserve better.

The Save Sri Lanka: Food Packet Initative strongly believes that children are the backbone of society, and we will not allow children to be starved.