Plantation Communities Project in Sri Lanka

Mr. Ganeshamoorthy is a young volunteer with an important goal: helping his fellow community members from Osborne Estate to access and protect their basic identification documents.

In Sri Lanka’s plantation communities, lacking the proper identification documents, such as a birth certificate, can be a serious obstacle to accessing important services. Mr. Ganeshamoorthy is one of several volunteers from Osborne who help estate residents acquire their documents. He received training by WUSC in May 2010 to strengthen citizens’ rights on Sri Lankan plantations.

Patterns are hard to break. Especially for teenagers growing up on tea plantations in Sri Lanka. They’re isolated from other Sri Lankans, have few prospects for alternative occupations, and can easily get stuck in a cycle of economic dependence on tea plantation owners. That’s why WUSC works with teens who show an interest in gaining new skills and further education. Udayakumar’s story shows how WUSC is improving lives.