Providing a Wheelchair to Disabled Inidividual After a Landslide Emergency

When Cyclone Ditwah triggered devastating landslides across parts of Sri Lanka, many families were forced to leave everything behind and seek temporary shelter in schools. During one such visit as part of phase 2 of our Cyclone Ditwah Response in the Aranayaka Divisional Secretariat, our team visited a school that was housing families whose homes had been completely destroyed.

We were there to listen. To understand what families truly needed beyond immediate food relief.

That is when we met Kanagarajah, a 34-year-old man living with cerebral palsy.

Meeting Kanagarajah at the School Taking Shelter

Kanagarajah comes from a family of six and has lived with profound challenges his entire life. His father and younger brother also live with disabilities, while his sister is battling kidney failure. For years, the family has faced compounding hardship, made even more difficult by poverty and limited access to support.

When we arrived at the school, the Grama Sevaka (GS) who was coordinating relief efforts shared something that stopped us in our tracks. Kanagarajah had never owned a wheelchair.

Because he could not walk on his own, he would crawl across the ground or rely entirely on family members to carry him, even to the bathroom. This had been his reality for decades.

A Wheelchair at the Right Moment

By chance, and perhaps by something greater, our team had a wheelchair that had been sponsored by Chandricka Pasupati from Australia in our vehicle that day. It had been donated earlier and was being transported for future use.

Without hesitation, we gave the wheelchair to Kanagarajah.

The moment he sat in it, everything changed.

For the first time, he could move independently. His family no longer had to carry him. A daily struggle that had defined their lives for years suddenly became lighter.

The joy, relief and gratitude on their faces is something we will never forget.

More Than Emergency Relief

This moment captures exactly what Vanni Hope stands for.

While emergency food relief is essential during disasters like Cyclone Ditwah, we believe real support goes further. We listen. We respond to what is actually needed. And we act when we can make a meaningful difference. Whether its building homes, repairing schools, providing household items etc.

This support forms part of our Disability Support Project, alongside our wider emergency response efforts.

Working With Communities to Identify Need

Our ability to respond in moments like this comes from working closely with local government officials, school principals, and community leaders who know their communities deeply and can help identify those in need of support.

This is how we work across Sri Lanka. Not from a distance, but alongside communities.

Thank You for Making This Possible

To Mrs. Chandricka Pasupati and our supporters, thank you! Your generosity and trust allow us to respond not just with supplies, but with compassion.

This is why we do what we do.
To listen.
To respond.
And to be the reason someone smiles today.

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