Kumaran's 30th Birthday Wish!

THIS FUNDRAISER IS NOW CLOSED (January 6, 2012).

Hi everyone,

To celebrate my 30th birthday this year, I am raising funds for a charity that provides much-needed programs to children and youth in the war-affected regions of Sri Lanka.

Why Visions Global Empowerment?

I chose Visions because at its core, the organization embodies the passion and spirit of young people who have gone beyond the rhetoric to actively contribute in creating transformational change. Started in 2003 by a group of young people in the United States who wanted to work directly with a generation of children and youth in Sri Lanka who have known nothing but a brutal civil war, Visions has successfully implemented programs that have directly benefited over 1,270 children and youth, involved 180 international and local volunteers, supported 30 local partners, expanded its focus to India and Kenya, and touched countless lives. Visions persevered when many others gave up as the civil war escalated in Sri Lanka. Like the resilient communities it serves, Visions too has managed to survive. And I find that tremendously inspiring.

Why Sri Lanka?

I chose Sri Lanka because it is still the “home” to which I will always be hyphenated. It is to where I can trace my beginnings. It is where parts of my family still want to live in. It is where generations of my people, all my people from Point Pedro (where my father was born) to Dondra, lived, loved and died. And despite the passage of 25 years and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and a million ideas, I continue to be fascinated by the promise of its potential.

Why Children?

Conflicts disproportionately affect children. They are the most vulnerable victims in any conflict waged for any reason. But I also chose to support a children and youth program because they also represent the best chance that we have to break this cycle of violence. I experienced this for myself when I volunteered in Kilinochchi in 2003 where I worked with children and youth. Whether I taught them English in air-conditioned institutes, small orphanages or in makeshift classrooms under trees on the outskirts of a war-ravaged town, memories of their eagerness to learn and sheer potential have not faded with time. This is why I am convinced that educating and developing young leaders in war-affected regions like Kilinochchi will help the most in building a truly meaningful and lasting peace in Sri Lanka.

Why the After-School Program?

I chose the after-school program because it goes a long way in ensuring that children and youth in Kilinochchi who have been internally displaced by the war have the resources they need to stay in school and continue their education that their peers in other parts of the country and around the world take for granted.

Schools in the war-affected regions of Sri Lanka face severe shortages of teachers, educational materials, and basic infrastructural needs such as school buildings and even toilets. In this context, local communities are coming together to try and best help their children learn. The after-school programs provide extra classes in basic subjects for students, ranging from primary grades to Grade 12. For many students, these after-school programs are vital and without it, they would be at high risk of dropping out of school. These programs are run on a low budget, and provide teacher stipends, basic supplies, and bicycles to those children who live far from their schools.

I also chose the after-school programs because Visions is partnering up with the Church of the American Ceylon Mission in running these programs. I have been a supporter of the Church for some time now due to the dedication and commitment shown by its members. A couple of these members are dear friends of mine who made the courageous decision to leave behind their comfortable lives in Toronto to go back to live and work with the impacted communities in Sri Lanka.

Why $10,958?

Because I wish to raise $1 for each and every single day since I was born when I was given opportunities to live, learn and show leadership, when many others were not. These funds will help Visions and the Church build and operate after-school centres in Kilinochchi similar to the centres they operate in Batticaloa, another region affected by the conflict.

But most importantly, because I believe in the generosity of my family, friends and colleagues. I am going to keep fundraising through the holiday season as well so that you have many more opportunities and reasons to give to this fundraiser.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for considering this birthday wish of mine.

With love and gratitude,
Kumaran