The Coca-Cola Foundation supports ‘Say We Care’ initiative to uplift 6,000 vulnerable families islandwide by providing life-saving relief packs

December 8th, 2022 – Colombo: The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has stepped forward with funding to help 6,000 vulnerable Sri Lankan families struggling due to the ongoing economic crisis through the ‘Say We Care’ initiative which will be delivering much-needed food essential packs across the island.

The initiative will distribute relief packs that will last approximately two months among some of the hardest-hit communities in the most vulnerable parts across the island. The vulnerable families are in nine districts, namely Gampaha, Kalutara, Colombo, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Mannar, Vavuniya, Moneragala, and Nuwara Eliya. These families have been identified through a screening process with the assistance of Implementing Partner Sevalanka Foundation, a Voluntary Social Services Organization under the Ministry of Social Services, and the various local government authorities in each region.

The economic crisis has negatively affected many urban, suburban and rural low and middle income families across the island. Amidst such a backdrop, in September 2022, a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) revealed that an estimated 6.3 million people in Sri Lanka are facing moderate to severe acute food insecurity, and their situation is expected to worsen if adequate life-saving assistance and livelihood support is not provided. This situation has further worsened over the last few months with the food inflation rate as high as 85.6% in October 2022 and 73.7% in November 2022. Most of these families have begun to reduce the number of meals to two or even one meal per day, and limit portion sizes while the nutrition value of the meals have been significantly compromised due to the high prices and unavailability of various food items.

Each relief pack will consist of dry rations and a few hygiene and medical related household items that would support these families. The vulnerable groups in the community specifically targeted by this project include pregnant and lactating mothers, children (with forms of under nutrition including particularly malnutrition), persons with disabilities, single-parent families/women-headed households, low-income households, households with large number of dependents, heads of households without livelihoods, and households heavily reliant on unskilled and daily labourers.

Saadia Madsbjerg, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) stated, “We have a long history of supporting local communities in a sustainable and responsible manner during difficult times. Supporting this ‘Say We Care’ initiative is the latest in our list of collective efforts that aim to bring about a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable communities.”

Recently, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) also provided funding to Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and other partners for interventions which enabled recovery and rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, The Coca-Cola Foundation provided LKR 110 million combating COVID-19 impacted areas of the island.