Success Stories

Generating waves of hope for future generations of Sri Lankan girls.

A large tropical island just twenty miles off the southern tip of India, Sri Lanka’s palm-fringed beaches and breath-taking beauty belie a past and present which has had devastating effects. The 2004 tsunami alone displaced a million people, killed 40,000 and demolished much of the country’s fragile infrastructure. But even in areas not touched by the horrific waves, the country struggles to manage the ongoing social, political and economic impact of ethnic divisions.

That was the Sri Lanka of Renuka, a bright young girl with big hopes for her future and an intense desire to continue her studies. But her world crumbled when her father died suddenly in a tragic train accident. In Sri Lanka, as in many developing countries, education is highly valued—but it is not free. Many families desperately need the income that working children can provide. So, with their mother unable to send four children to school, one of Renuka’s older sisters went to Colombo to work as a house maid, while her 18-year-old brother remained to take care of the family. Renuka’s schooling was in jeopardy, too.

Then she became a Room to Grow Scholar.

After the tsunami, U.S.-based Room to Read decided to expedite its planned expansion into Sri Lanka and launched operations in January 2005. Their mission was to rebuild schools, improve educational infrastructure, establish libraries and fund long-term girls' scholarships to students who would not otherwise be able to attend school. The organization makes a long-term commitment to each girl on scholarship: as long as she attends classes and receives passing grades, they will fund her education through the completion of secondary school and provide the emotional support she needs to be successful in the face of adversity.

Renuka now attends school regularly and is working toward realizing her dream of becoming a doctor. And like thousands of Room to Grow scholars throughout the developing world, she is getting the education that will create a ripple of positive effects throughout society.

You, too, can generate a wave of hope for girls in our One Shared World.