WHEN WE LOOK FAR, LET'S NOT FORGET WHAT IS NEAR

Why did I start writing this? It began on an ordinary evening, when I got into a tuk-tuk after work. As we were driving, the tuk driver received a call. On the other end, his wife was crying. She told him that their house owner had locked the door, thrown her and their child out, and taken the key. The reason? He had not paid the rent of Rs. 10,000 for a month.

- By Yashmitha Sritheran

When my mum asked him why, the driver explained that he had been sick and could not drive for weeks. Without income, he had no way to pay rent. He also admitted something heartbreaking: his family had been eating only one meal a day. Hearing this, I could not stop comparing. We sometimes spend Rs. 2,000 just for one lunch. He then broke down in tears and said, "Isn't it better to die than to live like this?"

That sentence stayed with me. And it made me think: while we all share posts about the suffering in Palestine, how often do we notice the silent suffering right here in Sri Lanka?

The truth is that thousands of families in Sri Lanka are struggling for the basics: food, water, housing, and clothing. After the economic crisis, prices went up so fast that many people were left behind. One in three households does not have enough food. Parents skip meals so children can eat. Some children go to school hungry; others stop schooling because parents cannot afford books or uniforms.