Thilasna’s new shoes
Thilasna with his mother Awanthi.
At a village in Sri Lanka, we met up with six-year-old Thilasna, who was standing in the warm embrace of his mother Awanthi. He had recently begun schooling and was full of smiles after receiving a new pair of school shoes from World Vision. Awanthi was just about to take Thilasna for his first day.
Thilasna happily unboxes his new shoes.
The boy’s face was filled with happiness and expectation. “I am excited about the first day of school, and what really delights me is that I have a new pair of shoes to wear,” he said.
Thilasna’s father works as a farmer while Awanthi is a housewife. The COVID-19 pandemic hit their village hard and the family had to bear extra costs to keep themselves safe. Purchasing school materials for Thilasna incurred many added expenses.
“We had to bear many expenses because of the new normal, and our income had been reduced due to the pandemic,” says Awanthi. “We were worried about providing for his school needs, so the new pair of shoes was a really a timely gift. My son is excited to wear them!”