Among Sri Lankan paddy farmers, water contaminated by agrochemicals is causing an epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease unidentified (CKDu). Over 23,000 deaths have been reported from this virulent disease in the last two decades, and due to missed diagnoses the number may be far higher. The majority of victims are middle-aged men who are

In Sri Lanka, “3.9 million individuals grapple with moderate food insecurity, while over 10,000 households confront severe food shortages. Compounding this crisis, more than 2.9 million children urgently require humanitarian aid to access vital nutrition, healthcare, education, clean water and sanitation, security, and social protection services,” according to a 2023 UNICEF report. In response

In the remote region of Padaviya, more than 100 kilometers from the nearest government high school or private educational institution, the children of poor farmers and daily wage earners labor to learn today’s necessary information and communication technology (ICT) skills with insufficient resources. While ICT courses are taught in all schools from grades six

Sri Lanka has South Asia’s second highest rate of severe acute malnutrition, according to UNICEF, and nearly one in six children here suffer from chronic wasting. In 2022, severe inflation and economic collapse resulted in crisis-level hunger across this nation of 22 million people, as food prices rose by almost 100 percent. BGR partner

In Sri Lanka, low-income women face tremendous barriers in accessing the vocational education necessary for lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. Even among women who qualify for tuition-free education, many find themselves unable to afford to pay for their room and board, required uniforms, data plans for online classes, and other necessities.