Lentil as Anything How one Sri Lankan man created a community

Imagine a restaurant where individuals of different heritage, age, ethical food preference, religion and income can all enjoy a meal together without having to worry about how they are going to afford it? Too good to be true? It should be, but one man has done absolutely that - Shanaka Fernando, a Sri Lankan that has been living in Melbourne since leaving Sri Lanka many years ago after failing his Ordinary Level examinations. 

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VOICE OF PEOPLE

I am happy to see the growing movement of Sri Lankans who are committed to mindful living. This includes social entrepreneurs working to address social and environmental problems, responsible business leaders who choose to prioritize people and planet over short term profits, 

Saving Sri Lanka, One Plant at a Time

Global deforestation rates hit a record high in 2017 as data revealed that the world has lost one football ground’s worth of forest cover every second in 2017. Not only does this mark an upward trend in deforestation but also jeopardises all efforts to tackle environmental issues including climate change.  

Raising money for a worthy cause

Kids can be amazing.  Born with a natural empathy and kindness, especially toward animals, children can connect with them on a special level that adults may not be able to fully understand.  Introducing 10 year old American boy, Connor Jayne.  After learning that his beloved emotional support dog, a Doberman named Copper was sick, decided to raise the money himself to pay for his dog’s expensive medical treatment.  Conno

‘Project Sisila’ a success

The Rotaract Club of Centennial United (RACCU) recently concluded a project that provided water for 20-30 families in Rambewa, a remote village in the Anuradhapura district. 

an open way of caring & sharing with the less fortunate…. and spreading a bit of Hope

For the busy housewife who visits the Jathika Pola regularly she may be unaware that just down this same road by the side of the canal is a Centre that has been in operation for the last thirty years or so. The Centre supports persons affected by leprosy most of whom are already disabled because of the disease and are shunned by society, even ostracized by their own families, because of the shame and stigma attached to leprosy. 

Indian teacher buys bus to help rural children stay in school

One of the biggest issue’s facing children in developing countries is access to education, sometimes it can be financial but location of the villages to the school is another obstacle to be faced.  Many children have to walk many kilometers to and from school and because of this, drop-outs are common.  Enter Rajaram, a physical education, maths and science teacher from Baarali Government Higher Primary School in the Udapi distric

Voice for Voiceless Foundation: A voice for those in need

The first two faces we look at as we see light in this world are those of our parents’. But not every newborn goes through this fortunate experience. Although children are born to this world, many of them don’t have a father or they don’t have both parents.

A success story with numbers

Every child has a right to go to school. But not every child is fortunate enough to study in comfortable environments. School life is a fundamental stage that every child has to experience. In Sri Lanka although a majority of children go to school they are deprived of basic facilities, particularly in rural areas. The nearest school would have been the best school as per the programme launched by the government if every school was equally furnish

Peradeniya University students help spread awareness on garbage disposal

Hundreds of viewers flock in Kandy to witness the Esala Perahera every August. Devotees who gather besides the streets to witness the pageant are in the practice of laying plastic sheets on the pavement where they could sit and view the procession from. As crowds gather in the hill capital, 

Destined for love The story of a shoebox

Joana, who hailed from Quezon City in Manila, received a shoebox of gifts from an American group named Samaritarian Purse’s as part of their “Operation Christmas Child” program. The box had been sent by a young man named Threll who was not much older than from Idaho in the United States. 

My Hope UK-Lanka Foundation Dedicated to support under-privileged children in Sri Lanka

Every child has a dream to go to school. But for some this is merely a dream. If a child doesn’t have school uniforms, shoes, books or a school bag, he or she is discouraged from going to school. There are many such children in the rural areas of Sri Lanka who have been marginalised by poverty.

Colombo’s first ever ‘plogging’ race a success

Plogging, defined by Wikipedia as “the combination of jogging and picking up litter”, is a concept created in Sweden but has since spread to other countries as a way to get a work out and help the environment at the same time. By bending, squatting and stretching to collect rubbish as you run, 

10 year old helps baby after surprise birth

Chloe Carrion from Virginia, USA has become a hero after her Aunt unexpectantly gave birth in the bathroom of her home.  After hearing her aunt shout for help, 10-year-old Chloe entered the bathroom just in time to see her aunt losing a lot of blood and before eventually passing out in the bath tub.

Nepal’s last ‘dancing bear’ – free at last

19 year old Rangila, the last known dancing bear in Nepal has finally been relocated to his new home in India, after a long 30 hour journey.   

“Trash dolphin” creates awareness on plastic pollution in Kalpitiya

180 kms away from Colombo, just outside of Kalpitiya at a nondescript turnoff towards the sea, there is a dolphin sculpture that’s filled with trash collected from the adjoining Kudawa beach.

Indonesian slum turned Rainbow Village

Tucked away in the small village of Kampung Pelangi in Semerang, Central Java is now an official Instagram sensation after being painted with all the colours of the rainbow. Following the trend started in other Indonesian villages of Kampung Warna-warni and Kampung Tridi in Malang, 

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Let me lead the way

A Kind Deed

On Saturday, August 4, kindhearted Sulochana Sandipani, with the help a small group of friends and family, visited Parama Dharmawardanaramaya Temple in Raththanapitiya to give alms consisting of 2000 vegan cupcakes. 

August is Happiness Happens Month!

What is happiness?  Pamela Johnson seems to have found the answers.  As the Founder of the Secret Society Of Happy People, her ambition is to provide a voice for those who are happy and want to express it without others “raining on their parade”.   

Kind Hearted Lankans: Spreading smiles and hope

For some people there are all the luxuries in the world; a shelter to dwell in, food to eat and everything else within reach. But for others, these are dreams. They permanently reside on the roadside and beg to find their food and keep themselves and their families alive. At a time when these people are totally ignored, there was one person who thought differently. For him, succe

Happy Stories

Officer Jessie Ferreira Cavallo risked her life to rescue a boy she watched jump off a highway overpass. A second woman officer who saw the incident has stopped to give CPR to the unc

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Keeping the Mount Lavinia Beach beautiful

As in many Asian countries, rubbish (especially polythene) is causing areas of natural beauty to become unsightly and is killing our land and sea animals.  It was because of this observation in Sri Lanka that, in early July, a team of five young female students from Spain, Czech Republic, 

VOICE OF PEOPLE

The Mirror For Hope asked some well-known faces about things that make them happy, or why the media should focus on positive news happening around them : 

Michael Ondaatje wins Golden Man Booker Prize

Sri Lankan born Canadian author Michael Ondaatje won the prestigious Golden Man Booker Prize in London recently.

Giving Alms

Last week in Colombo, a generous group of local women gave alms to the 70 young priests at Wickremashila Pirivena temple by making them breakfast. 

Feeding less-fortunate mouths

Meals are important to keep us going throughout the day. But for some people in our society, having at least one meal for the day could be an unachievable dream. Being an agricultural society, Sri Lanka for years has boasted of its paddy and other grains that are harvested to feed the citizens.

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