The Stories | The Reasons Why
The reason why we started The Ephraim Foundation International was because of the stories that resonated in our hearts.
The individual stories of hope and success that we have encountered. The stories of devastation but resultant resourcefulness.
The stories of despair with the hope of restoration.
We have seen joy, laughter, resilience and restoration.
We are grateful.
We hope that as you read a few of these stories of bravery, redemption, and handwork you will be encouraged too.
Srima's Story: Sewing Project
I would like to tell you about, Srima, she is a lady who has been through a lot of difficulties in her life. Although, Sri Lanka had the 1st female prime minister in the world. There still exists gender bias and inequalities for the voice of women in Sri Lanka.
Srima went through the unimaginable when her brother wrongfully accused her of fraud so he could claim all inheritance and their family land, she ended up wrongfully in prison but was released in a miraculous way.
She is very talented and although life has dealt her these unfortunate circumstances she is smiling in the photo and so grateful.
Srima has found a talent for sewing and is trying to build a business to sell bags and cloth items. She was invited to sell her items at a large show but did not have the funds to purchase the materials.
We at EFI helped provide the funds for materials and she has already received another order. She is so happy!
The Story of Shanthi:
Homeless and afraid, Shanthi and her son had nowhere to go. Shanthi was a housekeeper and taking care of an elderly lady. She and her son would sleep on the floor of the room where she was taking care of the older woman. One day the elderly lady passed leaving Shanthi and her son homeless and without a place to go. She
was a single mother and had no family or anyone to help her.
Her son wanted to study and was keen on studies. He had been able to go to a school near the elderly lady's house but now without a home or a job, Shanthi didn’t know how to help her son continue his dreams of education.
This young boy is so hardworking, he gained admission to an English language school with a scholarship. Actually, the teachers at the school had such compassion towards him and he showed promise that they decided to help him by paying for his education.
Shanthi found a small room in a building and the owners told her to clean and take care of the building. The building was still being built and there was no toilet for her and the son to use. He would get up every day and go to school wearing the same one school uniform he owned. He tried to cover his worn clothes. Once he got to school he would use the bathroom and wash his face. Shanthi almost died from infection due to lack of proper bathroom facilities. With little food she and her son were struggling.
One of our community leaders made us aware of her situation and our hearts were moved as there was no one else to help this mother and her son who had dreams to study. We are helping them with a monthly housing allowance (~USD 40/month).
Our community leader provided new clothes for Shanthi's son and the community shared in the kindness together by giving meals for them. Shanthi still faces many hardships and deals with many health issues but is glad her son is able to pursue his educational dreams.
Bravery
Another young lady we were able to help through EFI, was "M" who faced Gender Based Violence/ IPV. She had to leave her husband who was physically violent towards her. She left Sri Lanka to earn money to send back to her children. She gained experience as a nurse and moved back to Sri Lanka. Her mother suffered a stroke and she saw how much care her mother needed before she passed.
"M", decided she would start an elder home to care for older patients who needed that extra attention, we helped her with funds to buy a wheelchair, bedside equipment and supplies for the patients.
Despite facing hardship in her marriage, violence and fear. She bravely stepped out to learn new skills in a new country away from her family and started her own business to provide for her children. We love to support people like this young lady.
Resilience
Himashi, was 17. She had a desire to succeed in her studies. Due to family difficulties, she was taking care of the household and her younger siblings. The lockdowns causing school closures in her rural village disrupted her hopes to study. In her rural area, the access to a mobile device for access to online learning was limited.
One of our community leaders learned of Hibachi's desire to study and we provided her with a mobile device to continue her online studies. Despite the extra housework and responsibilities at home, Himashi put her mind to her schoolwork and excelled. She did so well, she was able to gain entrance to a better high school and has a better chance to succeed and break the cycle of poverty.
Medical Help
A young mother and father who are daily laborers struggled after their child was born with numerous complications. They had several medical needs and food that had to be given through a feeding tube. We helped them with a month's supply of nangrow for the tube feeds.
The
STORIES
BE THE CHANGE
Sources of Hope
"H" is an 11th grader whose mother left her and her siblings.She being the oldest is now cooking, cleaning and helping the younger siblings.Last year she still was able to somehow get ALL A’s even with difficult access to online instruction. She even was accepted to a better higher school system due to her improved grades! Now, she is so happy she has access to education and is excited she will get to continue her higher studies.
We heard of a mother and her two daughters who were attacked in their home one night. One of the daughters died during the attack, one of our Community Leaders helped the mother and daughter. In the sadness and grief, we hope to help and serve families like this.There are so many families going through different difficulties near and far, each of us has an ability to serve in some way.
"M" is another girl you have helped, she said so sweetly in one of the videos, “Thank you for helping me despite not knowing me. ‘Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.’” Proverbs 19:17 ESV- (IF you want to see the videos check out our Facebook or Instagram links or on here!)