To dream beyond the sunrise

One of the biggest impacts war had on children in Kebithigollewa is that it crushed their ability to have hopes and dreams beyond their boundaries. Every boy – even as young as five years - wanted to be nothing more than a civil security person with a weapon for protection. Survival was everything and their dreams sometimes were as short and simple as a hope to see the next sunrise. It was a big hope for someone who was hiding in the dark in fear not knowing when death would grab them.

Girls hardly hoped. Anuruddika, 22, was one of them. “It was too impossible,” she says. “As a child, there was nothing I could think of that I could become when I grew up. I was always afraid that with the situations that surrounded us I won’t be able to complete my studies. I was almost sure I wouldn’t.” 

World Vision’s many programmes – positive thinking, art,  drama and other character development workshops under the child development programme began to change their attitudes and renew their hope in the future once again. 

“World Vision was the invisible force behind every programme we had. If not for them, none of those professionals would have visited our areas,” Anuruddika says. “My favourite workshops were through Ulpotha (the aesthetic talent pool). It moulded our lives, disciplined us and strengthened our character. I even learnt to explore my creativity and to stay calm during chaos.”

“The workshops taught me to dream, set goals and work towards them. It was a great strength for my education as well as my personal life,” she says. “For the first time I had a dream. I wanted to enter university someday.”

Anuruddika’s father passed away when she was 12. She, her younger sister and brother live with their mother.

“Children – especially girls – from this area were always considered shy, ugly and backward. They lacked character and feared to talk to anyone. We were like that when we were growing up and my daughters were like that too,” says Anuruddika’s mother.

“World Vision took my children under their protective care,” she says, “I watched my daughters lose their backwardness and emerge with confidence which I thought was never possible. Because of their care my children have grown to be strong and beautiful. I have faith in their future now.”

Now, Anuruddika is already in university, pursuing her dream and following a degree in environment management – a passion that was hidden within her from childhood.