Blog
Building Her Future: How Dinu Became an Engineer
Today, Dinu works as a qualified engineer, breaking barriers in a field still dominated by men, and embracing every moment of the life she has worked so hard to build. “I set this goal for myself at Emerge and I am so happy that I did,” Dinu said as she reflected on her journey towards becoming an Engineer.
From the First Seed Grant to Today: Alison on Emerge’s Journey
Twenty years ago, a $200 seed grant for beads from MIT’s Priscilla King Gray Center for Public Service helped spark the beginning of Emerge. Alison, who helped approve that first grant, has been part of our journey ever since.
“To me, heart is central to Emerge’s work and is why I have stayed connected to the organization and am excited for its future,” she says.
Learning to Fly: Independence and Healing in 3.5 Months
"For girls like us who had been caged in a small box, Emerge showed us a path to a beautiful, free world where we could finally breathe. It was Emerge that showed us the sky after a long night. It was Emerge that showed us a sky we had never seen before.... Who are we all, really? they asked us. We say we want to be like various different people, but it was them that taught us to be truly ourselves."
20 Years Ago Today, Everything Changed
On June 6, 2005, I walked into a dimly lit shelter for teenage mothers in Sri Lanka. My body still remembers the knot in my stomach when I first met an 11-year-old nursing her 6-month-old son, and the flutter in my heart when I simultaneously saw her incredible strength. She had taken a stand against her father. She had said no in a world where speaking up could cost everything.
Amshi Deserved Better: Those Brave Enough to Speak Deserve Healing, Not Revictimization
When a teenager takes her own life after reporting abuse—a child with dreams, hopes, and a future stolen—we aren't just witnessing a tragedy. We're witnessing the culmination of collective failure.
Outrage is not enough. We owe Amshi—and every child like her—not just grief, but action. We must build a society where no child fears being disbelieved, dismissed, or destroyed for telling the truth.
iProbono Teams Up with Emerge to Empower Young Women with Legal Rights
On International Women's Day, we celebrate more than just progress. In line with this year’s theme to #AccelerateAction, we are proud to share some tangible tools for transformation. iProbono and Emerge have joined forces to unveil the Empowerment Toolkit: Navigating Legal Rights and Protections in Sri Lanka, a vital resource crafted specifically for survivors navigating the complex journey from trauma to empowerment from a legal perspective.
With iProbono’s support, this toolkit is now a component of the Emerge Centre for Reintegration, where young women receive not just legal support, but comprehensive life skills training for their paths forward. By placing legal knowledge directly in survivors' hands, we're ensuring that understanding one's rights becomes a foundational step in survivors’ self-determination.
Four Ways to Support Emerge This International Women’s Day
As we head into International Women’s Day 2025, we’re thrilled to have teamed up with some incredible brands to #AccelerateAction for gender equality. Check out these four ways to champion survivors this weekend.
My First Centre Cohort As Reintegration Officer
They stepped into our Centre like dandelions travelling in an unfamiliar gust of wind. They are used to going where they are taken — no questions asked.
1 Billion Children: Why Human Rights Day Demands We Listen to Our Future
As we close 16 Days Of Activism this International Human Rights Day, our founder shares reflections on a staggering reality: 1 billion children experience violence each year. 1 billion children. Yet in a world where customer feedback drives innovation, we rarely incorporate children's voices into the systems meant to protect them.
Read more about the developmental impacts of violence, the role of secondary victimization, and one simple action we can all take today to create meaningful change.
Pipinya Pickleball Sri Lanka champions teen survivors of trauma with Emerge Lanka Foundation
This month, in honor of International Day of the Girl Child, Pipinya Pickleball opened its state-of-the-art courts to youth from the Emerge Centre for Reintegration, creating a safe space for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma to play, express themselves and let off steam.
The Transformative Power of Self-Defense
It's a Saturday morning and I watch seven girls learning to calmly, quickly, and fiercely move out of choke holds and two-hand arm grips. The doors and windows are open, and warm light bathes the room. Kunchana, their self-defense instructor, reminds the girls to focus, to maintain eye contact, and encourages them to believe in their strength. One moment, they're giggling, unsure of themselves, the space, and the power of their bodies and minds. The next, they're escaping a hold from someone twice their size, their eyes wide. Kunchana looks at me after practicing the latest technique with one young woman and says, “she is very strong.”
What a Gift to Be Seen: Visiting SALAA* from Our First Batch at Emerge
“Good morning” – a whatsapp sticker with hearts appears across my phone.
“Good morning, nangi!” I reply.
A year and a half ago, SALAA* and I reconnected through a video call. We had met during my first Emerge workshop in 2005.
Now, she and her pre-teen daughter send me daily love notes in the form of stickers and “good morning” messages on Whatsapp. I never thought a digital teacup sticker reading “good morning” could fill my heart but it’s a beautiful reminder of our long-term connection — one that has transcended both time and language.
Chasing Her Dreams: JANI’s* Impact Story
JANI* first met Emerge when she joined our Centre for Reintegration in 2018 as a part of the 6th Batch. While working on her own personal struggles, she absorbed the lessons of her time at the Centre and started believing in her own dream of working as a pastry chef.
Emerge CEO expresses disapproval of Daily Mirror article
I am writing to express my profound concern regarding the content in Daily Mirror’s article by Shane Seneviratne on child rape, published on 21 December 2023. This article poses dangerous and inaccurate conflations between rape and consent that are factually and legally inaccurate, harmful to survivors, and further perpetuate norms that enable child sexual abuse. Having worked for 18 years with children who have survived rape in Sri Lanka and as CEO of Emerge Lanka Foundation, I urge the Daily Mirror to take a strong stance against child rape and to carefully consider how articles that the Daily Mirror publishes may condone and/or perpetuate harm.