*The crisis*

Sri Lanka is facing its worst financial crisis since independence, with food, fuel, medicine and electricity becoming increasingly scarce. Daily power cuts are forcing people to cook on scavenged wood while mile-long queues form outside petrol stations. Newspapers have ceased and school exams cancelled because the country can’t afford the paper to print them on. Doctors have declared a medical crisis as pharmacies and hospitals are running critically low on crucial drugs. While the political and economic crisis is proving to be devastating, the determination and resilience of the Sri Lankan people is incredible to see.

The nation has united like never before and as a tiny off shoot of the island in London, each one of us at Hoppers stands together with the people of Sri Lanka, whole heartedly.

‘Feeding the Future’

As food supplies dwindle, warnings have been issued that starvation for the poorest of the country’s 22 million residents could be imminent. In partnership with Hemas Outreach Foundation (HOF), a government registered charitable trust focusing on early childhood care and development in disadvantaged communities of the country, Hoppers is proud to launch our ‘Feeding the Future’ project....

We have identified the worst affected schools from HOF’s Piyawara Project school network across the poorest districts of Monaragala, Ampara, Mulativ, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya. We aspire to distribute nutritiously balanced dry rations to these school children with an aim to feed them and their families, ensuring that they continue attending and thriving at school. Each care package costs roughly £25 and includes:

Red Rice x 5 kg

Dhal x 2 kg

Gram x 1 kg

Sprats x 1 kg

Samaposha x 3 packs

Tinned Fish x 2

Soya x 5 packs

Sugar x 1 kg

Packet of biscuits x 1

Milk Powder x 1 kg

Flour x 1 kg

*based on current cost of goods/exchange rate

*Transparency*

-We are doing all we can to ensure that every penny contributed is accounted for and used as efficiently as possible for the intended purpose.

-Feeding the Future is in partnership with HOF’s Piyawara project with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs. This gives us direct access to 331 Divisional Secretariats around the island, helping us identify the worst affected regions and communities.

- We are working with distributors and retailers to use their existing supply chains to reduce the cost of travel and logistics.

-Our on the ground team consists of HOF employees and volunteers, so none of the Feeding the Future funds will be used to pay salaries or related administrative costs.

-The project and use of funds will be audited by an independent auditor in Sri Lanka.

*Find out more about our other fundraising intitatives at*

https://www.hopperslondon.com/sl-crisis/

https://hemasoutreach.com/hemasoutreach_about-us/