I finally have a purpose in my life

After his mother died and his father abandoned him and his two sisters, life was not easy for 18-year-old Kasun. But he continued to work hard at school and tried to earn some money by working at night.

Being sponsored through ChildFund gave Kasun support and the feeling that he was not completely alone as he continued to receive assistance for his education.

“I struggled through many obstacles to sit the GCE Ordinary Level Examination [an exam secondary school students take in Sri Lanka],” Kasun says. “When I learnt that I had not passed the exam, I was so disappointed. I thought that was the end of the road for me.”

But an opportunity to attend a Vision Camp event organised by ChildFund Sri Lanka helped Kasun realise that there were other opportunities available to him and that failing his exam was not the end of the world. Gradually his disappointment turned to hope.

Kasun was inspired by the many opportunities and ideas shared at the event and became interested in taking up a career in hospitality.

“I was so happy the day ChildFund Sri Lanka offered me training in the hotel trade,” Kasun says. He enrolled in a fully paid four-month vocational training program at a hospitality school. “I finally felt that my life had a purpose,” he says.

While taking the course Kasun also began working as a trainee at a resort in the beach town of Galle in southern Sri Lanka.

After successfully completing his course, Kasun now works at the resort full-time as an assistant cook.

“The guidance I received was timely and invaluable, and I feel that I have chosen a vocation that I enjoy and in which I can succeed,” he says, smiling.