Written by Ian Forber-Pratt, MSW, CERI Director of Global Advocacy
On December 26, 2004, life changed for the small island country of Sri Lanka. A devastating tsunami hit the Eastern coast, leaving thousands of children orphan and hundreds of thousands of families destitute. After being asked by the Sri Lankan government to help, our initial work focused on helping children left without parents. We restored children to loving families through kinship care, and empowered families to care for their own.
Helping a Nation Recover (2005-2015)
Over the past three years, we introduced a new way to transform the way children are cared for in Sri Lanka – child protection advocacy.
We began this after seeing families unable to create the life they wanted for themselves and their children. What they needed was a way to stand up for their rights and influence their government for the better.
We worked with local, state and national levels of governments and advocated for the rights of institutionalized children.
Helping a Nation Put Family First (2016-Today)
Today, we continue finding loving homes for children and strengthening vulnerable families.
Our child protection advocacy work in Sri Lanka ensures future generations care for children in families first and institutions as a last resort option. In the years to come, we will continue to partner with government to implement new policies that put children and families at the forefront.
While caring for the vulnerable is still the focus of our work, we advocate for children and families. We believe in every child’s right to family and every family’s right to safety and wellbeing. Together, we are changing the way children are cared for in Sri Lanka.
