Riaright arrowBlogright arrow

How Ria is committing to early childhood education in Sri Lanka 

x platformfacebooklinkedin
Ria News

How Ria is committing to early childhood education in Sri Lanka 

October 19, 20234 min read
A group of three people work together to raise a red flag on a flagpole, while another person sits nearby holding a large heart shape. The scene, reminiscent of community efforts in Sri Lanka, takes place in front of a modern building with large windows. One person uses a ladder to assist in the flag raising.

Early childhood education is the foundation on which a child’s future is built. From 0 to 8 years of age, children learn and develop the skills and behaviors that will take them into adulthood. This period is crucial for children’s brain development and impacts their wellbeing, learning, and success throughout life.  

We are always looking to have a positive impact on the lives of the local communities we serve and strive to support vulnerable families struggling to provide education for their children. That’s why we partnered with the Shanu Foundation Sri Lanka this year to build a preschool in the city of Mannar, Sri Lanka. Through our collaboration, we are looking to promote early childhood education and provide local children with a safe space to grow and thrive.  

How the humanitarian crisis is affecting Sri Lanka 

A year after Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt of over $56 billion, the humanitarian crisis is still hitting the population hard, pushing more and more people into poverty. Children are the ones who suffer the most from the situation, being more vulnerable to the effects of poverty than adults. Sri Lankan kids are currently faced with dire challenges like hunger and undernutrition, violence, exploitation, and unequal access to health services. The crisis causes families to struggle to put food on the table in communities throughout the country, with our partner Save the Children reporting that poverty is forcing half of Sri Lankan families to reduce the amount of food for their children. Besides the most immediate effects, this grim situation also affects children’s future hopes and opportunities, negatively impacting their mental and physical health, social development, and access to education and higher-paying jobs, ultimately perpetuating the discrimination and harmful circumstances they faced in their earlier years throughout a kid’s lifetime.  

The opening event: a new preschool for the Mannar community 

To give children immediate support in their education and better hopes for their future, we united with the Shanu Foundation to give the Mannar community in Sri Lanka a sorely-needed preschool. Rising to the challenge, the whole community came together to make the project possible. After months of hard work, the construction was completed, and on October 10 and 11, our Ria team was there with the Shanu Foundation and representatives of the local government to celebrate the opening of the preschool. We had the chance to meet with some of the beneficiaries of the project and witness firsthand the happiness the school brings to the local families, who can now rest assured that their children will be well cared for in the new preschool’s safe environment

Our partnership with the Shanu Foundation 

This was not the first time our team joined forces with the Shanu Foundation. Back in 2021, we supported a livelihood program for women and the distribution of more than 100 bicycles and 1,000 backpacks and stationery for children in Sri Lanka
This year, like in 2021, our team in France took ownership of the project and directly coordinated with the foundation by funding the construction of the new school.  

We feel honored to partner with the Shanu Foundation again. The organization works hard to create better opportunities for the education of children and for the empowerment of women-led households and families, as well as the families of people with disabilities. 

Through our Corporate Social Responsibility projects, we help provide children at risk with the tools they need to build a better future. Children everywhere have a right to quality education. With partnerships such as the one with the Shanu Foundation, we are ensuring continued education and support for children at risk. This in turn helps build social and economic well-being for the whole community, giving them the tools and environment to grow up healthy, safe, and well cared for.   

Keep visiting our blog to discover more about our CSR projects, like our partnership with Save the Children and La Villa de los Soñadores with Atletico de Madrid.  

For more info: comms@riamoneytransfer.com

The information on or through this site is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be relied on as a substitute for specific advice about laws, regulations, taxes, finances, immigration or travel. For specific advice, contact a licensed attorney, financial advisor or other professional. We disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on this site. We do not warrant the accuracy or usefulness of this information. This site may contain links to other sites and information provided by third parties for your convenience. We do not endorse nor make any guarantees with respect to these sites, their accessibility, the information they contain or the way they treat any information you provide to them.

About the author

Blog post author profile image

Eloisa Armini

A Rome-native communication and marketing professional, Eloisa Armini has an extensive background in the nonprofit, financial, and education sectors, and focuses on writing about Corporate Social Responsibility and financial education.

Related posts

Empowering Communities: Highlights from Our CSR Initiatives

Empowering Communities: Highlights from Our CSR Initiatives

At Ria, we have the privilege to serve some of the most hardworking people in the world. Their dedication and drive to support their loved ones, even from far away, is inspiring. Every day, we get to witness the power of a simple money transfer. By getting our customers’ money to where they need it […]

January 24, 2025

Unveiling Ria’s new tagline: Money where you need it

Unveiling Ria’s new tagline: Money where you need it

For over 35 years, we’ve made sure people around the world can stay connected to their loved ones back home. This mission has guided every step we’ve taken as a company, evolving from a single storefront in New York City to a multinational operation spanning from California to Sydney.  Led by the belief that every […]

September 16, 2024

Devastating Floods in Brazil: What We Are Doing to Help

Devastating Floods in Brazil: What We Are Doing to Help

Since Monday, April 29, 2024, Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul province has been suffering from widespread flooding. At the time of writing, more than 580,000 people have been displaced and over 68,000 remain in shelters. From everyone at Ria, we would like to express our condolences to our Brazilian colleagues, family, friends, and customers […]

May 23, 2024

How Ria Keeps Your Money Safe in Sweden

How Ria Keeps Your Money Safe in Sweden

At Ria, we know our customers depend on us to provide for their families back home, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. We strive to continue delivering the best service possible, never compromising the safety of our customers’ hard-earned money.  Since we started operating in Sweden over 15 years ago, we’ve had an open line […]

May 20, 2024