Sathsara – A Child Who Should Be in School

While building a home for two girls in Sri Lanka, we faced many unforeseen challenges. Materials were scarce, work was delayed, and some workers repeatedly promised they would come ‘tomorrow’. But that ‘tomorrow’ often never came.

Because Sadun and I lead the foundation in Sri Lanka together, after four difficult months we decided that in future we would focus primarily on supporting a school with 400 pupils. Building homes is organisationally and financially very demanding.

Then an encounter changed our decision.

Sadun found a new mason who brought a 13-year-old boy named Sathsara to the building site. When Sadun saw a child doing heavy physical work, he told the mason that the boy should be in school, not on a construction site.

He then learned his story. Sathsara’s father had died tragically. The boy was left with his mother and two-year-old sister. His mother cannot find work because she has no one to care for her younger daughter. With no regular family income, Sathsara became the only person able to earn money for food. When there is no food at home, he goes to work instead of school.

This is a burden no 13-year-old child should have to carry.

Sadun immediately bought food and rice and visited the family at their home. Their living conditions are deeply distressing. Their shelter has a poor roof, they have no beds and sleep on the floor. They do not have a wardrobe, table or chairs.

When we saw how the family lived, we could not look away.

We decided to help Sathsara, his mother and his little sister. We want to provide the family with a safe and dignified home and enable Sathsara to return where he belongs at thirteen – to school.

Although we had promised ourselves not to begin another construction project, Sathsara’s story reminded us why the foundation exists: to help when help is truly needed.

Work began immediately. Sadun is now overseeing two building sites, and we believe we can give Sathsara and his family a safer future.