Koshika
Project background
Koshika is a domestic day helper earning a meager sum of about Rs 250.00 (less than US $2.50) per day to support a family of her mother and four children, the eldest is 15 years and the youngest is seven years-old. Her husband helps fishermen doing irregular odd jobs. Daily employment and earnings are uncertain, though she is a genuinely hard worker. They live by the sea, literally on the beach, in a makeshift shack in abject poverty.
Koshika's present house, which was hastily built when the 2004 Tsunami destroyed her previous home, is on the Moratuwa-Angulana beach, 50 feet from the sea. It is a one-room house built with wooden planks. The house is dilapidated and in danger of collapsing any moment. During the monsoon season, water from the ocean comes into the house, and whenever there is a tsunami warning the family takes refuge in a nearby church. Their house does not have a bathroom. The three boys and the father use the beach while Koshika, her mother and daughter have permission to use a neighbor's toilet.
Fundraising efforts: Lets Sing and Give Them Joy
Mag
éLanka, realizing the plight Koshika and her family were in, came up with the idea to print a book of songs and give them to Sri Lankans overseas with a requested donation of US $10 or Rs. 1,000, to raise money to build a basic sturdy home for this family. They were able to print 1,000 copies of the book, aptly titled
Let's Sing and Give Them Joy, through generous local sponsorship. The songs are timeless Sinhala and English songs, specially selected with the Sri Lankan expatriate community in mind to evoke nostalgic memories of home.
Whenever you sing and enjoy the songs in this book, we hope that you remember the help and hope you have given to a family, and truly Sing and Give Them Joy.
Now that the book is printed, what remains is to give out the copies and raise funds. That is where we need your assistance. We welcome all who are interested in supporting this cause by giving away books and collecting donations to members of their community. Please contact us at
magelanka@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with book donations.
We welcome any suggestions.