Sri Lanka: Empowering Impoverished Communities for a Happier, Sustainable Future

The Daily Fight for Basic Household Needs

Stable housing, clean water, and access to basic needs are the foundation of human survival.

Regular households in rural areas are overwhelmed by survival pressures—so we begin by helping communities secure the essentials to create the groundwork for well-being and happiness.

Key Challenges:

Poor Housing
Many families live in substandard housing with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.
Lack of Basic Necessities
People cannot afford essential needs like food, clothing, and medical care.
Earning Below The Poverty Line
Households are struggling with inflation costs, reduced income, and lack of well-paid jobs.

The Barriers to Accessing Basic Healthcare

Good health is not a luxury—it’s a basic right that allows people to live with ease and purpose.

Without affordable healthcare, people neglect their health and become more susceptible to illness and disease.

Key Challenges:

Unaffordable Healthcare for Low-income Families
Low-income families find it difficult to afford regular check-ups, medications, or treatments.
Public Hospitals Lack Medical Essentials
Hospitals are under-resourced, often lacking essential basic medical supplies and modern equipment necessary for proper care.
Poor Quality Healthcare
Many qualified doctors and nurses are leaving Sri Lanka to work abroad for better paid job opportunities.

Kids Growing Up Without a Proper Education

Education is the key that opens the door to opportunity and empowerment.

At Metta Trust, we see education as not just academic but as a path to self-development, greater awareness of eachother and the planet, and the chance to build a better future.

Key Challenges:

Poor Quality of Education
Families must pay for additional tutoring on top of standard schooling for their children to receive a good quality of education.
Households lack the income to send their kids to school
Parents struggle to pay for school fees, uniforms, bags, books, and other necessities.
Lack of Government Funding
Public schools, especially in rural areas, are underfunded, and lacking in modern materials, facilities, and sufficient teaching resources.

Buddhist Temples are Struggling To Survive

Temples are the pillars of Sri Lankan communities, with monks acting as the depended upon parish counsellor of the village.

Without them, good healthcare and education would not be enough to keep the traditional Buddhist culture alive.

Key Challenges:

Households cannot fund their local temples
Many Buddhist temples lack donations, making it difficult to maintain themselves and support their communities.
Monks are less able to serve their communities:
Monks often survive on minimal food and resources, limiting their ability to care for their health and to serve others effectively.
Sri Lankan culture is threatened by neglected temples:
As temples weaken, so does the crux of Sri Lankan culture, resulting in less opportunities for community gatherings and celebrations.

Illegal Deforestation & Wildlife Conflicts

Metta Trust addresses the urgent need for conservation through reforestation, habitat protection, species rescue, and local community engagement, essential for building happy communities.

Key Challenges:

Poverty Driven Deforestation
When cultural, educational, and economic systems break down, people turn to harmful practices like deforestation just to survive.
Significant biodiversity loss
Between 2001 and 2022, Sri Lanka lost approximately 210,000 hectares of tree cover (about a 5 % drop)
Wildlife Conflicts: Elephants are losing their habitats, facing conflict with humans, and even being killed by trains or poisoned as they search for food.

Get Involved in One of Our Programs

Feel called to help? As well as providing food, shelter and healthcare to people in need, we have programs tailored to helping underpriveleged Sri Lankan communities through improved education, protecting the country’s traditional culture and rescuing it’s natural beauty.

Sponsor a Child’s Education

Sponsor a Temple

Plant a Tree