Support for Sri Lankan Families in Crisis

My name is Emily, and I am a Sri Lankan American raising money for my loved ones, who are living through the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

When I close my eyes and invite memories of Sri Lanka, I smell the fragrance of rice and curry, I hear the buzz of three-wheelers in the streets, and I feel the laughter shared with friends and family over milk tea. Sri Lanka's economic crisis has stripped the country of these simplicities. Due to a perfect storm of COVID, political corruption, and inflation, the country has become a very different place. Sri Lanka has run out of petrol, making it difficult to operate farming vehicles and impossible to transport rice, vegetables, and goods across the country. There is no milk powder for tea, no tourists spending money, and not even candles to alleviate the three-hour daily electricity cuts. Inflation has raised prices of goods 300-600% in the past year, as the price of simple goods like rice has gone from Rs. 75 to Rs. 300. Schools are closed, people are out of work, and any semblance of government has imploded.

The funds that I raise will go to support my loved ones, who have opened their homes, families, and hearts to me. It's for my friend, Manjula, a school teacher who cannot support her family due to lack of work and inflation (her children are pictured above). It's for my friends Violet and Maya, whose work contracts have been ended due to the economic crisis. It's for the three-wheel drivers and cooks who have kept me safe and nourished during my visits to Sri Lanka, but currently have no income to support their families.

Though this crisis is complex and its devasting impacts are widespread, I know that I can have a small impact on the people who've touched my life, and I invite you to join me.

Thank you for reading and if you choose, thank you for donating. If you would like to learn more about the crisis in Sri Lanka, visit: https://groundviews.org/