Emerge Lanka Foundation COVID-19 Relief Update
When a girl joins any of our programmes, they join the Emerge family – and with that comes with a permanent support system in a time of need. Over the past three months, our team has actively reached out to our alumnae to make sure they are ok and to connect them with resources when needed.
The Emerge Centre for Reintegration remained open for two and a half months post graduation in order to support the recent graduates due to the loss of their new jobs. We are truly grateful to the Centre Mothers who remained on duty without a break amidst much challenges. The Centre will reopen in the coming week, after a short rest to house alumnae who need a place to stay until they can be placed in a job or educational programme.
The Reintegration Center staff coordinated and set-up a process for alumnae to receive online counseling sessions. There has been a noticeable increase in stress levels due to the enforced lockdown, with girls citing challenges living in close spaces, fear and uncertainty for the future, and disconnection from their support systems. Through video and voice calls, our therapist helps the girls process what they’re going through and to find ways to cope with relaxation techniques. The girls are closely monitored and continuously supported.
In the the face of the sharp increase in domestic and child abuse, the Centre will open soon as a drop-in center for trauma informed counseling support, freely available to survivors beyond our existing programs. Thanks to your generous support, and together with our wonderful partners, we have been able to support the girls in terms of paying their rent and providing them with dry rations. A huge thanks to all of our supporters, with a special mention of Round Tables 7&8, Ashoka Bandara, Nimmu Kumari, Razni Razick, and Amila De Mel from the Generation Never Give-up (GNG) Network.
We will continue to support the needs of our girls in the coming few months until jobs are secured and they are independent once again.
