Healing children and youth in Sri Lanka

Shanthi Margam is a registered non-profit organization that aims to reduce violence in society. To achieve this goal, we provide youth and adolescents with the psychosocial support that they require to identify and break generational cycles of violence, primarily within the vulnerable urban communities. Our services include island-wide trilingual counseling sessions, community outreach psychosocial workshops, and awareness and advocacy initiatives. At Shanthi Maargam, we aim to be a safe space for youth to heal from trauma and gain skills to be positive agents in society.

Counselling

Mental health is a critical issue in Sri Lanka, with 40% of adolescents facing mental health challenges, which is double the global average of 10–20% (Rasalingam et al., 2022). Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among adolescents. Despite this, national mental health policy does not address the specific needs of children and youth (Rajapakshe et al., 2023).

Our free, confidential, trilingual counselling services (Sinhala, Tamil, English) provide essential support to those unable to access private care, filling a major gap in the mental health system. From February to April, we conducted 72, 66, and 47 counselling sessions, respectively. During the same period, our hotline received a quarterly average of 110 calls. The hotline operates daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, providing critical mental health support including Psychological First Aid, ongoing counselling, and referrals. These services serve as a vital lifeline, especially for youth who are unable to access or afford private mental health care.

The Shanthi Maargam counselling team participates in weekly peer supervision and ongoing training to strengthen their skills with roleplays in areas such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), LGBTQ+ awareness, self-care, and reflective practice.

 Empowering Women Through Skills and Self-Employment

Shanthi Maargam, in collaboration with Sarvodaya, hosted a two-day workshop to uplift women and young girls in urban poor communities through self-employment, digital literacy, and hands-on training in batik art. Participants gained skills in traditional batik techniques, social media marketing, and financial literacy, all aimed towards building confidence and sustainable income streams.

The workshop specifically targeted individuals who had experienced domestic violence, unemployment, and were in crucial need of financial independence. For many, this marked a powerful first step toward reclaiming their agency. Participants expressed a strong interest in self-employment, collaborative batik production, and supporting each other as they grow. The impact is already taking shape. Some women have started sewing batik frocks, batik sarongs, and handkerchiefs, and others are designing tie-dye products. A social media page named “Liya”, managed by the Shanthi Maargam team, will soon showcase their amazing work and products.

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Vesak Lantern Exhibition

For Vesak this year, Shanthi Maargam held its first-ever Lantern Exhibition. Young people from different faiths spent days preparing, working with parents and elders to build several lanterns and a stunning lotus centerpiece. On the day of the event, heavy winds and rain destroyed the centerpiece lotus lantern. All the children, who had been in separate groups beforehand, came together with staff and elders to rebuild the lantern even better than before. In that moment, we witnessed the unstoppable resilience, the strength of community, and the inspiring dedication and teamwork of our youth, a spirit that your support can help nurture and grow.

Feeding the Community, Fueling Young Leaders - Annual Poson Dansala

For the second consecutive year, Shanthi Maargam’s Youth Club took the reins in organizing a Poson Dansala (South Asia’s time-honored feast of sharing) that served over 300 members within and out of the community. More than just a food-sharing event, this initiative became a powerful platform for youth empowerment, giving young people the chance to lead, plan, and serve with purpose. Through guided mentorship, they developed leadership, teamwork, and event management skills while experiencing the deep joy of giving back.

Awareness-based Musical Evening

In the month of June, Shanthi Maargam organized an event that utilized music as a tool to bring families together and spark life-changing conversations. To increase engagement, we hosted a musical evening for youth and parents in the Gothamipura community, blending awareness with art. The event began with a session on human trafficking and the dangers of illegal migration. Through music, a safe and open space was created where families listened, reflected, and shared their own stories. Something powerful happened that evening.  Parents who had never attended awareness sessions stayed till the end. Youth asked questions, opened up, and left more informed and empowered. This is the difference your support can create.

Cricket Tournament

Shanthi Maargam successfully organized a Friendly Cricket Tournament that went beyond sports to serve as a powerful intervention addressing critical social issues such as drug use, aggression, and social exclusion which are common concerns among the youth and adolescents in the vulnerable communities. Bringing together 70 participants from marginalized communities, the event combined cricket with targeted drug prevention messaging, delivered in partnership with the Alcohol and Drug Information Center (ADIC), local schools, and support from the municipal council. This collaboration not only ensured widespread community involvement but also reinforced trust, leadership, and collective responsibility for youth well-being. The tournament’s deliberate inclusion of girls in every team challenged traditional gender norms and promoted equality, while leadership opportunities for participants fostered confidence, teamwork, and essential life skills such as communication and decision-making. Importantly, many children known for aggressive behavior or drug involvement demonstrated significant positive change in their performance and behavior.

Empowering Through Language, Music & Sports

Shanthi Maargam’s educational programs, including English, Sinhala, guitar, and karate classes, have created inspiring spaces where children develop new skills and confidence. These sessions are filled with enthusiasm and commitment as students regularly arrive early, actively participate, and eagerly embrace learning. The guitar classes, in particular, have sparked notable passion, with students performing at schools and Shanthi Maargam events. A standout story is of a child who saved money to purchase their own guitar, highlighting the deep personal impact of the program. The karate classes play a crucial role in teaching children self-defense, discipline, and physical fitness, empowering them to protect themselves and build confidence in their abilities. Together, these classes nurture creativity, discipline, self-esteem, and personal safety, helping children thrive both academically and personally.

Mental Health Workshops for Community Children

From February to May 2025, Shanthi Maargam conducted a series of targeted workshops designed to build essential life skills, emotional awareness, and social connection among community children. Beginning with a session on apologizing and conflict resolution, children learned the power of sincere communication and empathy through creative activities and role-plays, addressing a recurring issue of peer conflict. In March, a goal-setting workshop used symbolic tools like a “life tree” to help children reflect on their strengths, aspirations, and support systems, fostering self-awareness and future planning.

In May, a team-building treasure hunt challenged participants to apply communication, leadership, and problem-solving in a group setting. While the event highlighted strong collaboration and energy, it also revealed the need for greater inclusivity and emotional safety, issues now being addressed in follow-up sessions. Later that month, a Vesak-themed reflection session helped children explore personal values, memories, and cultural identity while encouraging empathy and respect for diverse beliefs.

Teacher’s Workshops

In February and March 2025, Shanthi Maargam conducted two impactful teacher workshops at Susumayawardena School, Colombo 8, reaching 30 teachers in total. The objective was to ensure the sustainability of Shanthi Maargam’s mental health initiatives in schools by equipping teachers with the awareness, skills, and knowledge needed to address student mental health and behavioural issues effectively.

The first session focused on shifting mindsets from blaming or labeling children to understanding the broader environmental and social influences on behaviour. Using an adapted version of Bronfenbrenner’s social-ecological model, teachers created fictional child profiles, explored behaviour concerns, and examined contributing factors at multiple levels—individual, family, institutional, community, and societal. Teachers also discussed the types of support they currently provide and ways schools can respond more effectively to student needs.

The second session built on this foundation by engaging teachers in small-group discussions around real-life case studies of children with behavioural challenges. These discussions focused on what teachers can practically do within their role to support students. Teachers were also provided with referral resources for further support.

The impact was significant. Teachers responded with enthusiasm and shared practical insights from their experience. Many expressed the urgent need for dedicated school counsellors and appreciated the tools provided to bridge gaps in emotional support. The workshops also created a safe, trusting environment, evident when several children approached facilitators afterward to request one-on-one counselling sessions. These sessions reinforced the importance of teacher involvement in sustaining mental health support in schools and contributed meaningfully to creating more responsive, empathetic learning environments.

Weekly Nutritious Meals

We provide nutritious weekly meals to children who may lack regular access to healthy food, an issue especially common in the vulnerable communities we serve. In the future, we aim to increase the frequency of meal distribution and adopt a needs-based approach, ensuring that children who visit the center outside scheduled sessions also receive food. This initiative not only addresses hunger but also creates a sense of care, safety, and dignity for children facing daily nutrition struggles.

Workshop for Parents

In March and June 2025, Shanthi Maargam conducted two critical parental workshops aimed at increasing awareness and strengthening protective practices within vulnerable communities. The first session focused on child protection and was attended by 15 parents of registered children. Facilitated by the National Child Protection Authority, the workshop emphasized the importance of nurturing, emotionally supportive parenting, recognizing children’s emotional needs, and safeguarding their rights. The session also addressed parental mental well-being as key to raising emotionally healthy children. The workshop created a safe space for open dialogue and reflection, with strong parent engagement and a notable request to extend similar sessions to their children.

The second workshop, conducted on June 16th with 24 women and youth, addressed human trafficking. It increased participants’ understanding of trafficking types, causes, legal protections, and reporting mechanisms. Participants gained practical knowledge on identifying and responding to trafficking risks and were empowered with advocacy and communication skills to act as peer educators in their communities. Despite challenges related to stigma and varying literacy levels, the workshop successfully fostered open discussions and built trust, offering participants essential tools to protect themselves and others.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Workshops

A Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) workshop was conducted at school with 52 students. The session addressed a pressing need for accurate, age-appropriate information on puberty, bodily changes, and reproductive health, topics often missing or inadequately covered in school curricula. The anonymous Q&A format encouraged open dialogue, highlighting the strong demand among adolescents for reliable knowledge in a safe environment. Active participation from both girls and boys fostered mutual understanding and respect, while teachers acknowledged the workshop’s crucial role in filling educational gaps.

School Workshops

An engaging and educational workshop in May to raise awareness among students on the importance of maintaining personal hygiene, hygiene-related bullying, and the importance of attending school. This workshop is tailored separately for primary and secondary students, with blended hands-on activities and thoughtful discussions to engage participants meaningfully. Student reflections showed a key shift in perspective as they understood that cleanliness and grooming are not tied to wealth. With the right knowledge, maintaining hygiene is possible even with limited resources.

The sessions aimed to promote school engagement, build self-confidence, and foster a sense of identity and belonging. Key activities included peer therapy sessions for Grade 6 and 8 students, where participants openly shared their experiences, developed empathy, and engaged in support-focused role plays. Grooming and confidence-building workshops saw active participation, with students recalling key messages and demonstrating positive behavioral shifts. A life skills session held at Shanthi Maargam further equipped them with practical tools for emotional regulation, communication, and resilience.

The Collective Action Against Period Poverty (CAAP) Project

This project aimed to improve menstrual health and hygiene practices among girls, women, and menstruating persons across several underserved communities in the Colombo district. It focused on breaking stigma, increasing access to menstrual products, and strengthening sustainable WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) facilities through research, training, and community engagement.

A comprehensive research study titled “Exploring Menstrual Practices and Policies” engaged 602 participants from seven marginalized communities. The study revealed critical gaps in menstrual knowledge, stigma, and access to menstrual products. Findings were shared with schoolchildren in four schools and local community members, creating awareness at a grassroots level. Additionally, five community-based awareness workshops were conducted in each target area, with strong participation from both men and women. These interactive sessions helped debunk myths, reduce stigma, and encourage open dialogue. Many participants reported a positive shift in their attitudes, with a commitment to passing this knowledge on to the next generation.