Athi On Why We Chose Bharathy Development Centre
“If you haven’t figured out already, Bow and I are siblings. Our parents were born in Sri Lanka and moved to England in 1985 during the Sri Lankan civil war. Growing up, we would hear stories about the daily struggles faced by the people of Sri Lanka - sourcing basic necessities such as food & clean water, things we take for granted, was difficult.
But on top of this, they’d have the constant worry of being kidnapped, shot, bombed and tortured. Having peace of mind was something they desired but unfortunately unattainable for most.
We’ve had it lucky, as our parents managed to migrate and make a life for themselves, providing us with a platform to prosper. However, the majority found themselves unable to escape the lifetime of war & depression.
Having seen & heard the first hand impact it had on our families, we wanted to give back to a community in need. Our family have been supporting Bharathy Child Development Centre for over 20 years; our parents would help provide a week’s worth of meals for each of our birthdays. A way they felt was giving back to their community. It has meant that we have developed a strong bond through the years and we are keen to keep providing and maintain a relationship with them.
Due to these deep-rooted links, we felt it would be perfect for Painting Progress’ first social impact project to be lined with Bharathy Development Centre.
We feel it’s a way of following tradition with the hope it will bless us with our forthcomings.”
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka faced a three decade long civil war between the government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam which ended in 2009. The consequences of which still reverberate throughout native communities today. The war left many unable to provide shelter and adequate nutrition for their children due to the displacement and economic hardship. The economic crisis and weather extremes have led to food insecurity and malnutrition. A stark statistic from 2022 showed that 42.9% of children under five suffered from undernutrition.
On top of the war damage, the country has been in an economic crisis since 2019 due to rising foreign debt, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. This has led to a shortage in medical supplies, fuel and commodities. Shortages resulted in climbing costs for food and healthcare, whilst the number of jobs has decreased leading to falling incomes. As of 2023, almost a third of the population was living below the poverty line.
There was a widespread disruption of education due to school closures because of unfavourable economic conditions and shortages of essentials. Consequently affecting educational opportunities and national literacy rates. As a result of the economic hardships many schools are no longer able to provide feeding programs, transport and stationery. Thus, there are children who are missing school due to hunger and lack of transport.
The Story Behind Sri Lanka’s Children Homes
Over 21,000 children are estimated to be in children’s homes, on a background of massive displacement that took place in the post-war period, leaving many affected parents unable to care for their children. Children in institutions are 45% more likely to experience mental health disorders compared to children in the community.
We have partnered up with Bharathy Girls’ Child Development Centre whose mission is to: “To create better citizens by providing protection, better education and better physical and mental health to the poor, vulnerable and orphaned students’’. The organisation has been operational since 2012 and is currently looking after 105 children and young adults aged 6-25. The aims of the Development Centre are the following: provide nutritious meals through local partnerships with agricultural businesses, cater to the children’s mental health needs through regular meetings with the medical counsellor and organise mental health classes, if necessary, as well as educational events and support with studying towards university or vocational training. The organisation states their main challenge is the rising cost of goods due to the current financial crisis.
The photographs were kindly sent to Painting Progress to be used for our events and website by the centre depicting the children enjoying donated food, celebrating birthdays and partaking in activities.
Our Role
Painting Progress will provide financial support to help fulfil the organisation’s goals of having nutritious meals, aid towards bettering the home’s sanitary facilities, educational events and mental health support for the children. We will implement long-term sustainability by liaising with mental health charities and groups that travel from the UK to Sri Lanka with the aim of having trained professionals expand the support offered to the children, for instance, through art therapy. This year, the organisation has successfully organised educational tours, competitions in arts and sports, and other special classes. Through the funds generated through our events, we hope to support Bharathy Girls’ Development Centre create a brighter environment for all the students they provide for.