Celebrating 10 Years of Vanni Hope in Sydney

On Saturday, 29 August 2026, we came together at Strathfield Town Hall in Sydney to celebrate Vanni Hope’s 10th anniversary.

It was wonderful to see so many people who have supported us over the years, as well as newer faces who have recently joined our journey. Ten years ago, Vanni Hope began with a simple goal of making a meaningful difference in the lives of communities across Sri Lanka. Since then, our work has grown across education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, women’s empowerment, community development and emergency response. The night was not just about celebrating what we have achieved, but recognising the people who have made those ten years possible.

Our amazing new volunteer, Miss Abirami Prakash, served as MC for the evening and did an exceptional job. She brought warmth and energy to the night and guided the program so smoothly. We are very lucky to have her as part of the Vanni Hope team.

Beginning the evening

The formal program began with the Tamil Thai Vazhthu, presented by students of Sri Gananatha Araneri School in Vantharumoolai, Batticaloa. The school is one of the moral development schools supported by Vanni Hope and has grown from a small group to more than 140 children. Although we were all gathered in Sydney, it was very special to begin the evening with children from one of the communities we support in Sri Lanka. It was a fitting reminder of why we do what we do.

Looking back on ten years

We then had the opportunity to reflect on Vanni Hope’s journey over the past decade, followed by our 10 year recap video. One of the most enjoyable parts of preparing for the anniversary was going back through our archive footage to put the video together. We now have almost 1,000 videos on our YouTube channel alone, so there was certainly a lot to sift through. It was lovely rediscovering footage we had not seen in years and being reminded of so many projects, people and moments from different stages of Vanni Hope’s journey.

We deliberately did not show the finished video to anyone before the event, so everyone was seeing it for the first time together. Watching people’s faces as old footage appeared on the screen was one of my favourite moments of the night, especially when people suddenly spotted themselves or someone they knew. There were plenty of smiles around the room, and it was lovely seeing everyone react not just to the projects, but to the memories behind them.

The video was followed by a Directors’ Q&A facilitated by Abi with our Founding Chairman, Mr Ranjan Sivagnanasundaram, our Director and Secretary, Dr Malathi Waran, and myself. We reflected on how Vanni Hope began, memorable projects from the past decade, what has allowed us to keep growing, and where we hope to be in another ten years. Guests could also submit and upvote their own questions, which made the discussion much more open and engaging.

A night of wonderful performances

We were very fortunate to have so many talented performers join us. The evening included an energetic fusion performance by Bollyfit Dance Studio, beautiful performances by 10 year old Jaihasini Mohanram, and four songs from Geethavani title winners Abirami Narenthiranathan and Kisomy Sivanesan. The final performances came from Smt. Ramya Srishyam and the students of Layathandavam Bharatanatyam Dance School, including a live preview of their upcoming production, KARNA – Beyond Fate. The full production later this year will support Vanni Hope’s education initiatives for children in rural and remote communities across Sri Lanka.
We are incredibly grateful to every performer who generously gave their time and talent. They added so much to the evening and helped make the celebration particularly special.

Thank you

Everything Vanni Hope has achieved over the past ten years has been possible because of our staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, partners, supporters and the communities we work alongside. We are especially grateful to Sympathy Funerals, the major sponsor of our 10th Anniversary Celebration Dinner, for their generous support.

We would also like to acknowledge Abi Master Production for helping with sound and technical support throughout the evening, and for their ongoing support of our events. Our thanks also go to everyone who worked behind the scenes to organise the night and to everyone who joined us at Strathfield Town Hall to celebrate this milestone.

Looking ahead

Celebrating ten years is something we are very proud of, but there is still so much more we want to do. The next decade is about taking what we have learnt, continuing to improve, strengthening our partnerships and finding ways to have an even greater impact across Sri Lanka.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of Vanni Hope’s first ten years. We are incredibly proud of what we have built together and excited to see what we can achieve in the next ten.

Watch ‘10 Years of Being the Reason Someone Smiles Today!‘ Below