World Vision Hong Kong in Sri Lanka (2023)

World Vision Hong Kong in Sri Lanka (2023)

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Sri Lanka experienced a multi-dimensional national crisis in 2022. Food inflation rate reached an all-time high of 95 per cent as the government defaulted on its foreign debts, resulting in 6.2 million people becoming food insecure. The situation has stabilised in 2023, yet significant concerns remain as more than half of the households have to adopt food coping strategies. The country also faces significant threats from climate risks, as rising temperatures and extreme heat put downward pressure on the agricultural yields.

World Vision first began operations in Sri Lanka in 1977 through the provision of microfinance, and has later transitioned to community development work. Currently, World Vision operates in 8 provinces and 1 city of the country and runs 28 Area Programmes (APs), supporting over 1.5 million children and adults as well as their communities by providing transformational development programmes.

In 2023, World Vision Hong Kong contributed approximately HK$6 million to support 2 APs and 1 other project in Sri Lanka, benefiting about 80,640 people.

2023 Work Highlights

Area Programmes

World Vision Hong Kong supported 2 APs to improve the environment for children to thrive, and empower community members to be resilient, that they would become self-sustainable and be free from the poverty trap.

Child Protection

  • Educated about 3,090 adolescent community members on policies or standards and empowered them with advocacy skills, while reaching about 5,640 children in other child protection awareness programmes.
  • Nearly 1,120 children and adolescents completed a life skills curriculum on self-efficacy, decision-making, interpersonal relationships, leadership skills and goal orientation to increase competency, confidence and resilience.

Education

  • Conducted micro projects to renovate a school’s roof, entrance and buildings, as well as building a safety fence for the play area of a pre-school, benefitting about 1,730 students in total.

Health and Nutrition

  • School mid-day meal programme served about 3,350 children in schools and pre-schools with meals through effective collaboration with local government.
  • Reached about 680 children under five from nearly 380 households with home gardening and animal husbandry assistances, enabling families to utilise the products for their household consumption.

Livelihoods

  • Nearly 1,710 members received financial literacy skills training through Savings for Transformation groups.
  • Renovated 2 major damaged parts of the only road connected to a village, allowing nearly 770 community members to carry out daily activities such as going to school or transporting their products to be sold.

WASH

  • Nearly 9,180 vulnerable children and adults have access to drinking water from 15 water supply systems renovated for the communities.

Funding (HK$): 5,988,370; No. of Beneficiaries: 79,850

Health and Nutrition Project

  • Addressed the issue of rising malnutrition among pre-schoolers in the community by supporting them with nutritious mid-day meals prepared by a selected supplier together with mothers in the community.

Funding (HK$): 368,080; No. of Beneficiaries: 790

Total Funding (HK$): 6,356,450; Total No. of Beneficiaries: 80,640



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