Sri Lanka’s Research Centre for Dramatherapy

Hi, my name is Amanda and I am raising rent money for the only drama therapy research center in Sri Lanka, which is about to close its doors due to the country’s economic crisis. My colleague, Dr. Ravindra Ranasinha founded the center in 2018 and since then it has become an institution for teaching, workshops, and providing therapy to the community. My goal is to raise 1 year’s rent, $3,500, so Dr. Ravindra and his team can make it to the other side of Sri Lanka’s political upheaval, soaring inflation rates, and rationed necessities.

Some backstory: The Sri Lankan people have been protesting in the streets for weeks now in unprecedented unification demanding the removal of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa over charges of corruption and gross negligence leading to a record low foreign currency reserve (how countries import goods) and soaring inflation. As of April, the inflation rate is 29.8%— making rent prohibitively expensive. For context, in the US it’s 7.5%. On top of all of this, Sri Lanka sources much of its oil from Russia. Since sanctions went into place, Sri Lanka’s have been lining up for hours a day to buy such essentials as fuel, cooking gas, medicine, and food. The situation is dire. Please donate if you can.

In Dr. Ravindra’s words:

Dear Amanda,

I am writing this email to you at a time when Sri Lanka has gone completely bankrupt due to financial and political mismanagement. Currently, the citizens in this country are undergoing enormous difficulties, and people have taken to the streets against the President and the Government in Sri Lanka. 

As a dramatherapist, I too, am affected by this socio-political and economic situation of the country, in an unpredictable manner. I am about to lose our Research Centre for Dramatherapy, which is the core venue for Teaching, Training, and Therapy. By 15th May 2022 we have to vacate the building which we have been renting since the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings. It is heartbreaking that such an institution will not be available to support people at a time when there's a collective trauma visible among people.

However, before taking the above step, I thought I must communicate this situation to my International friends, so that we can find some remedy to emerge from this situation. We are terribly in need of funds to sustain our Research Centre, at least for the next six months, and our total requirement is USD 1750. This is till December 2022, with a hope that the country's economic situation will improve by then. 

I appeal to you, to support us with any amount possible, in order to generate the above amount of money.