Mishika’s Plan to Make a Mark in Her Community

“It felt like a big pain in my heart,” 12-year-old Mishika said as she described the poverty her family faced. But as a participant in Convoy of Hope’s Children’s Feeding program in Sri Lanka, Mishika now has access to regular, nutritious meals.

Financial issues plagued Mishika’s house as long as she could remember. Her father worked odd jobs. Bills regularly went unpaid. Needs often went unaddressed.

“I had hoped one day I’ll study and give my parents a better life,” she said.

Mishika loves math and reading books, she dreams of being a lawyer, and she is well-respected among her peers. She carries so much hope in her heart, even the community leaders were surprised to learn of the constant need among her family.

“One of the things I learned from Mishika is that we can’t look at someone and make decisions about them,” said Melani Karunanayake, a Convoy of Hope partner in Sri Lanka. “We have no idea what they are currently facing in their life — it’s much harder than we think.”

As a participant in Convoy’s Children’s Feeding program, Mishika now has opportunities she once lacked: the chance to stay healthy, to focus in school, and to pursue her dreams of beginning a career that allows her to break the cycle of poverty and provide for others.

“I like to help the needy,” she said.

When COVID-19 struck her community, Mishika couldn’t go to school where she would normally receive hot, nutritious meals from Convoy of Hope. However, thanks to local partners and volunteers, she still received meals each school day while classes were not in session.

“We are happy with the meals provided to us,” she said gratefully.

Still, Mishika was eager to get back to school once she could safely return. “It was a great pleasure to start the school term after a long time,” she said.

Because of your support, hundreds of thousands of children like Mishika have the chance to start new lives full of hope and possibilities. Thank you for changing their stories.