Let’s
Rebuild Sri Lanka Together: A £10 Appeal to the Sri Lankan Community in the
United Kingdom
By our
London Correspondent
In the
wake of Cyclone Ditwa and the devastating floods that followed, Sri Lanka faces
one of the most complex reconstruction efforts in its recent history. Entire neighbourhoods
have been washed away, small and medium-sized businesses have been brought to a
standstill, and critical infrastructure—from roads and bridges to water and
power systems—has suffered extensive damage. For thousands of families, the
disaster did not end when the waters receded; it merely changed form, from
immediate survival to the long and difficult task of rebuilding lives.
Against
this backdrop, the Sri Lankan High Commission in London has issued a direct and
practical appeal to the Sri Lankan community living in the United Kingdom:
donate £10 per person on 1 January to the “Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund,”
established by the Government of Sri Lanka and administered through the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka.
A small contribution, a national impact
There are
an estimated 500,000 Sri Lankans living in the United Kingdom. If each
individual responds to this call with a contribution of just £10, the result
would be a £5 million injection into Sri Lanka’s recovery effort—enough to
rebuild thousands of homes, revive local businesses, and accelerate the
restoration of essential infrastructure in flood-affected districts.
This
appeal is deliberately modest. It does not ask for extraordinary sacrifice, but
for collective responsibility. £10 is the cost of a single meal, a short
journey, or a subscription. In Sri Lanka, pooled at scale, it becomes bricks,
roofing sheets, machinery, school supplies, and working capital for families
who have lost everything.
Supporting families, livelihoods, and
infrastructure
The funds
raised will be directed toward three urgent priorities:
- Housing and community
rebuilding –
assisting families who have lost their homes to rebuild safe, permanent
residences.
- Livelihood and business
recovery –
supporting small traders, self-employed workers, and local enterprises
whose shops, tools, and stock were destroyed.
- Infrastructure restoration – repairing roads, bridges,
drainage systems, and public utilities essential for economic recovery and
disaster resilience.
By
channelling donations through a Central Bank–managed fund, the government aims
to ensure transparency, accountability, and structured allocation of resources,
while complementing ongoing domestic and international assistance.
A call to unity across communities
The High
Commission’s appeal is not limited to individuals acting alone. It is a call
for organised, community-wide mobilisation. Sri Lankan community leaders,
religious institutions, and faith-based organisations—Buddhist,
Hindu, Muslim, and Christian alike—are encouraged to lead by example and
organise collective donations.
The
appeal also extends to Sri Lankan professional associations, business
networks, Old Boys’ and Old Girls’ school associations, and the
wider diaspora media ecosystem—including journalists, YouTubers, website
editors, and social media influencers—to amplify the message and turn goodwill
into measurable support.
Crucially,
this is a non-partisan, non-ethnic initiative. Tamil, Sinhalese, and Muslim
communities are being asked to contribute together, not as separate groups, but
as Sri Lankans bound by a shared responsibility to their country of origin.
Rebuilding the motherland from abroad
For many
in the UK diaspora, Sri Lanka remains more than a birthplace; it is a living
emotional and cultural anchor. Parents, relatives, former neighbours, and
school friends are among those now struggling to rebuild after the floods.
Supporting the Rebuild Sri Lanka Fund is, in that sense, not charity—it is
solidarity.
Diaspora
remittances have long sustained Sri Lanka’s economy. This appeal seeks to
transform that historical role into a focused act of national recovery. By
aligning individual contributions into a single, coordinated effort, overseas
Sri Lankans can directly shape the pace and quality of reconstruction.
A moment that matters
Natural
disasters often reveal not only the vulnerability of a country, but also the
strength of its people—at home and abroad. The response to Cyclone Ditwa has
already demonstrated unprecedented local unity and international support. The
question now is whether the global Sri Lankan community will match that spirit
with decisive action.
On 1
January, the request is simple: £10 per person. The impact, however,
could be transformative.
This is
an opportunity to send a clear message: that Sri Lanka’s recovery is not the
responsibility of the state alone, but a shared national project—one that
extends from flood-affected villages to Sri Lankan households across the United
Kingdom.
Let us
rebuild Sri Lanka together.