Your pledge to Bridging Lanka goes directly to supporting vulnerable communities in Mannar District, Northern Sri Lanka with:

• Sustainable livelihoods – enhancing the capacity of vulnerable people to develop and sustain self-managed micro-enterprises for income security – such as providing a job at Café Arokkiya for a war widow.
• Environmental health – aiming for robust solutions that better sustain life and health and address hazards to soil and water quality, food safety and biodiversity – such as supporting paddy farmers to go organic without the use of deadly agro-chemicals.
• Social cohesion –creating the conditions that lead to tolerance and community harmony in areas of communal fracture – such as encouraging Muslim young people to build trust with the local Buddhist community in a place that experienced anti-Muslim violence.
• Nurturing youth – responding to deeper youth issues caused by war, growing substance use, social media and globalization that stymie young people’s growth – such as offering strong support and residential care for those who want to kick their dependence on alcohol, drugs and violence.
• Urban improvement – addressing the challenge of urban planning and infrastructure development in resource-poor Mannar through grounded, place-specific urban responses – such as building a children’s park in an impoverished village.
• Holistic education – supporting the ‘whole’ child, young person and adult – their social, emotional, physical and cognitive development and preparing them for life, not just for passing exams – such as providing donkey assisted therapy for disabled children that builds their self-esteem and teaches them life skills.
• Animal welfare – ensuring that animals including feral donkeys and street dogs and cats are adequately cared for and that animal-human conflicts are mediated – such as rescuing injured street animals, treating them at our clinic and bringing them back to health.
• Responsible tourism – pursuing an ethical model, of global connectedness, minimal ecological and social impact and increased financial gain through showcasing local culture – such as creating employment for young people through forest-based tourism.