“Where is he? It’s getting dark.” Thakshila’s husband, Kasun, had gone to the jungle to fetch branches to fix their relatives’ home. Her mind raced with worry. “He should’ve been home by now. I should go look for him.”
Glancing at her young children, Dilmina and Shanaya, she knew she couldn’t leave them or go alone. It was too dangerous. After asking those in her small village for help, friends and family went in search of Kasun.
What they found would change the young family’s life forever.
The Moment That Changed Everything for Thakshila
Those searching found Kasun lying helpless on the ground. While cutting branches, he had stepped on a land mine. It exploded, leaving Kasun in excruciating pain. The search party rushed Kasun to the hospital, where they discovered he would need to have his leg repaired.
“It was a horrible time. Shanaya was only 7 months old. At the hospital, the doctors assumed Kasun had gone to the jungle in the night to illegally kill animals, and they spoke to him very differently. But he was treated anyway and had to get a metal plate in his leg.” — Thakshila
Thakshila listened to the doctors explain what would be required to help Kasun heal. A metal plate. Surgery. Long-term care at home. One simple yet harrowing question swirled in her mind: “How?”
Living in poverty in Sri Lanka, Thakshila’s family already struggled to meet their daily needs. How would they pay for Kasun’s surgery? And who would provide for the family? Thakshila would need to care for her babies.
Fear mounted in Thakshila’s heart. In just one moment, everything had changed. And it was in this moment, when she needed love and care the most, that the local church stepped in.
Compassion Survival: Here & Now Care When It Matters Most
Back when Thakshila was pregnant with her daughter, Shanaya, she was registered at the local Compassion center as part of the Compassion Survival program.
The Survival program offers critical care to expecting moms and those with babies under 12 months, from prenatal visits and postnatal care to education and mentoring.
So when Kasun was injured, the local church, through the support of Compassion Survival, was there to stand beside Thakshila in the moment she needed it most.
Financial Support for Kasun’s Leg Repair
For families living in poverty, medical care is often impossible to come by. Many can’t afford basic medical checkups, let alone the critical surgeries they need for survival.
While Thakshila received pre- and postnatal care before and after the birth of Shanaya, Compassion’s support didn’t stop there. After Kasun was injured, Compassion provided the funds for the metal plate required to repair his leg.
Sometimes, caring for a mom and her children means also caring for the people in their lives who offer critical support.
“Even now, my husband still says, ‘We have other relatives who have money, but not even one of them helped us.’ Only the center was there to support us.” — Thakshila
Emotional Care for Thakshila’s Heart
After the repair of his leg, Kasun couldn’t walk for almost 7 months. During that time, Thakshila was the only caregiver for both him and their children. From nursing her youngest to bathing her husband, she did it all.
At the same time, Thakshila endured incredible pressure from the relatives her and her family lived with. Their constant negative words about how she dressed and cared for her children beat her down.
Refusing to tell her husband for fear it would stall his healing, Thakshila carried the enormous weight of caregiving and her relatives’ condescension on her shoulders — until she met Renuka, a Survival specialist at the local church.
“I used to sit with Thakshila for hours under the tree outside. She used to share everything she was going through. She needed someone to listen to her, so I listened.” — Renuka
Through Compassion Survival, moms are visited by Survival specialists who support them as they prepare for, love and care for their babies. Not only do they receive medical care and education about caring for their little ones, but they also receive emotional support at a time when they often feel overwhelmed and alone.
With Renuka, Thakshila had a safe place to open up. She could share her worries and walk away feeling heard and understood. With a friend by her side, Thakshila grew in resilience and found the strength she needed to get through each day.
“Renuka helped me so much. She used to take me to get medicine for my husband, listen to me, advise me and always be there for me.” — Thakshila
Education for the Family’s Income Needs
After months of grueling recovery, Kasun can walk and work. However, the effects of his injury are still there. Kasun can’t do heavy work and often suffers pain in his leg. Thankfully, Thakshila can make up the difference in their income by selling eggs.
Through the Survival program, Thakshila received chickens as an income generation opportunity. She was taught how to properly care for the chickens and how to grow her flock. Thakshila now gathers fresh eggs to cook for her family, selling a few each week to earn extra income.
Through her time spent with Thakshila and her family, Renuka witnessed the difficulties of their living arrangements. Living with extended family was taking a toll on Thakshila. So Renuka encouraged the couple to save some of their income when they could, with the goal of finding their own home.
Now, the couple has built their own home by themselves, allowing Thakshila to raise her family in peace.
Compassion Delivers Hope in Life’s Most Fragile Moments
Many moms around the world, just like Thakshila, are in desperate need of love and care. And this need starts before their babies are even born.
According to recent data, over 700 women died every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth around the world in 2023 alone. And sadly, 2.3 million newborns died within the first 28 days of life.
The World Health Organization says that adequate nutrition, skilled delivery at birth, quality postnatal care and other medical treatments can save many of these lives. But for moms and babies living in poverty, these essentials are often impossible to afford or even access at all. But there’s hope.
Compassion Survival provides the critical care moms and babies need to thrive during life’s most fragile moments: pregnancy, birth and the first year of life.
Mothers and babies in the Survival program receive necessities like:
Visits: Mothers are visited in their homes each month by Survival specialists, just like Renuka, who care for them as they prepare for and care for their babies. These specialists monitor both mom’s and baby’s health, providing further care when needed.
Care before, during and after birth: Moms and babies receive pre- and postnatal support, safe water, nutritious food, diapers and other supplies. Moms receive medical care as they deliver their babies, and little ones receive necessary immunizations to prevent disease.
Education and mentorship: Through parenting workshops, moms learn how to care for themselves and their babies. Plus, moms receive income generation opportunities, equipping them to provide for their families.
Not only did Thakshila have critical care when preparing for and delivering her little Shanaya, but the local church came through in life’s other fragile moments too.
When she needed critical medical care for her husband.
When she needed a loving shoulder to lean on.
When she needed income opportunities to provide for her family.
When she needed hope.
Through Compassion Survival, Thakshila received the here and now care she needed to thrive. And that’s exactly what we provide to thousands of other moms and babies around the world.
“Right now, I am the happiest I have been. My children are well, my husband is well, we’re living on our own, and my mind is at peace.” — Thakshila
The Survival program changed Thakshila’s life. Her husband is healing, her children are growing, her income is increasing and her home is flourishing. You can help moms like Thakshila by equipping the local church to care for moms and babies in Sri Lanka and beyond.
