Save our Kandyan Forests

As mentioned in our previous report, Sri Lanka has been going through turmoil over the past 6 months. Bankruptacy, political instability and unprecedented rates of inflation are just some of the issues facing the island. 

The newly appointed president is trying his upmost to get Sri Lanka out of this mess but even he has admitted that this will be an uphill task and could take several years before Sri lanka is on the road towards recovery. 

So what has been happening at the Forest Healing Foundation? Well, despite the turmoil around us we have continued to plant and nurture our newly planted trees and offer some temporary jobs for some of the local villagers. 

Some of the highlights are:

- Offering more jobs to support our tree planting efforts

- Planting and donating spice & endemic trees to the local community

The sad news is that we are seeing an increase in deforestation in our surrounding area. The economic pressures are forcing locals to sell their trees for timber at rate we have not seen before and it is becoming a real battle to save some of the neighbouring forests.In a time when the environment should be the primary focus not only in Sri Lanka but globally, it is downplayed yet again citing a global economic recession. 

Despite the slow global efforts to tackle the environment and climate change we will continue to do our part ableit in a small way. With your support we will offer more employment opportunities, keep planting trees and spread the importance of protecting our beautiful forests.

Thank you,

Emma, Remon and the entire FHF team..  

Our update this quarter cooincides with an important event in Sri Lanka's history in the last few days. Saturday saw protests on possibly the largest scale ever seen in the country in response to the social and economic crisis that grips Sri Lanka. As a result, both the President and Prime Minister have said they will resign.

It is our greatest hope that this change will result in a fairer, more equitable and more sustainable Sri Lanka. However, we must wait to see how things play out and in the immediate term local people and communities desperately need our help, so it is here that we are focusing.

Impact highlights from this quarter include:

-          Through the FHF and our donors we have provided 20 varieties of vegetable seeds and plants to over 300 families and are extending to another 100 families soon to help combat the food crisis and reduce pressure on forests;

-          Educating farmers and local families to help them grow the spices and vegetables sustainably through regular house visits (once per month) by trained experts;

-          Providing organic fertiliser and pesticide to protect their vegetables and boost rice production organically;

-          Exporting community-grown spices directly from Sri Lanka to consumers worldwide through our Eko Land Produce initiative;

-          Providing emergency food parcels to desperate families identified by the village council.

Find out more:

If you would like to read more about what is happening in Sri Lanka right now and the projects we are running in our communities, please check out the latest blogs on www.foresthealingsrilanka.org/blog.

Support Sri Lanka during this crisis:

With food prices between 30-80% higher and fuel sales currently suspended except for essential vehicles, our communities need as much help as we can give them. (We have already had people walking 5km uphill to our location in the forest to collect vegetable seeds.)

You can donate today via the links on this page and we will also be launching a crisis fundraising campaign through GlobalGiving shortly. Building on the work already begun by the FHF team, donations will be used for two main projects:

(i) Food parcels - urgent relief for families in need;

(ii) Supporting communities to become self-sufficient during the food crisis - providing seeds, farming equipment, organic fertiliser production facilities, a village trading market, and events and training for sustainable, deforestation-free farming and agroforestry.

A huge thank you as always for your ongoing support. It means the world to us and is also making a huge difference for families here at a time when it is most needed.

Isthuthi and best wishes,

Nihal, Remon, Emma, Nel and the FHF community