My name is Abisha and I’m eleven years old. I am an only child. My father’s name is Chandrasekaram. He would be 48 years old today if he is alive. But in 2003, when I was less than two years old, he went missing. I still look for him amongst strangers, in the hope he is still alive. But so far, I have heard nothing about him.

Abisha

My mother is the fortunate one to no longer suffer on this earth; she died due to an artillery shell on the 17^th of March 2009. Since then, all I have are my maternal grandparents, who mean the world to me. My grandfather is 72 years old and my grandmother is 65. Despite being elderly and frail, they do their very best to take care of me. I work hard to prove I’m worthy of their support.

This year in grade 5 scholarship exam, I was awarded 148 points, placing me 89th in the district. It was made possible by the encouragement from my grandparents and the help I received from the SJC87 initiative’s Year 5 intensive program and model paper discussions.

I dedicate all the accolades I receive for this achievement, to my father and mother. My parents had wanted me to become a doctor. My ambition is to fulfil this dream of theirs. I believe my success will make my mother’s soul rest in peace.

Abisha, 11 years old, Konavil, Sri Lanka

There are many children like Abisha who are survivors in every sense of the word. Despite the challenges they face, they succeed beyond expectations, proving their resilience. But they can’t do it alone. They need the support of their community locally and internationally, to overcome the obstacles they now face and become a significant part of Sri Lanka’s bright future.

The article is sent by the sjc87initiative.org , which is a non political humanitarian initiative and is a registered charity in Australia and Sri Lanka. It is voluntarily run by a team of professionals and local representatives including the Principals of the nominated schools in order to ensure greater accountability and transparency. The initiative is committed to make a positive difference in the lives of the war affected children in the nominated schools and reaching out the community through the schools.