When Hesara visited Sri Lanka in 2017, she drew a parallel between the children walking to school barefoot with books in their hands and her own comfortable commute in Singapore. It ignited a desire to make a difference. This experience stayed with her for seven years and planted the seed to start her own charity in Singapore. That’s exactly what she has done with the launch of Samāna. Her charity allows people to donate bags and shoes in Singapore, knowing they will go directly to school kids in need. Her first shoe and bag donation drive is now in full swing; at just 16, Hesara is helping change the lives of school children in Sri Lanka one school bag and pair of shoes at a time.
We asked her about her Singapore charity, Samāna, and how you can help out!
Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m turning 16 this year and would describe myself as an avid reader. In my downtime I also love to play Call of Duty and Mobile Legends. However, I’m currently in Secondary Four and most of my time is spent balancing my studies with my responsibilities as a Staff Sergeant at the National Cadet Corps. Luckily, at home I have two very supportive parents and a younger sister that help me with my charity.
What is the vision for the Samāna charity?
The aim of my charity’s first project is to provide financially challenged children with good quality second-hand school bags and shoes. I have selected Gunawardana Primary School, a school in regional west Sri Lanka to send these bag donations to.
My hope is that these children will wake up with one less worry and are able to travel to school with the right resources. This will help create a more equal start for them compared with those who are better off.
Why is helping school children in Sri Lanka close to your heart?
My sister and I were born in Sri Lanka but are being raised in Singapore. It’s a place where we are fortunate enough to receive a good education and experience growing up. However, there are many in Sri Lanka who are not as lucky.
When I visited Sri Lanka in 2017, I had the opportunity to spend time in rural parts of the country. I saw how children my age walked home from school barefoot and carrying their school books in their arms. They had almost nothing, and yet they still wanted to go to school and learn.
This made me realise just how fortunate I am to have good quality resources at my fingertips whenever I need them. I believe every single child deserves the right to a fair education. While I can’t change the entire education system, I can help provide these students with the things they need.
Why inspired you to start your charity in Singapore?
What really pushed me to start it was representing Singapore at the Children’s General Assembly in 2022. Over five months, 80 student advocates for children’s rights from all over the world discussed in groups how to ensure all children receive a fair and equal education. Myself and another delegate were selected to present our group’s manifesto to the entire conference when we all gathered in Billund, Denmark. This idea inspired me to start my own charity to help children whose families are financially disadvantaged.
In Sri Lanka, the economy is rapidly deteriorating. Some of the rural schools run on community donations and as a result must focus more on providing syllabus materials like textbooks. Resources such as school bags and shoes are lower priorities. Additionally, families in these areas often cannot afford to buy these items for their children.
Where and what can we donate?
You can donate old school bags and shoes that are still in good condition. If you would like to donate in Singapore, organise a drop off or have any questions about how to donate bags or shoes in Singapore, please contact me through the Samāna Facebook page.
After you have collected these donations, what’s next?
We plan to end the collection period in late July. Then we will clean and sort the items at our place of residence before shipping them to Sri Lanka by August. My contacts in Sri Lanka will then take charge of the distribution process to the Gunawardana Primary School.
I hope that this process reaching out to the community to donate shoes in Singapore and second hand bags is a success. If it is, I’m planning to expand to other countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, or even outside of Asia. Currently, we are receiving requests for support from other schools in Sri Lanka and also Sierra Leone, Africa. So watch this space!
For information about how to donate in Singapore, visit the Samāna Facebook page where you can also find information about the bag donation drive. This was initiated with the support of Hesara’s secondary school and also Alliance Française de Singapore.
