Longest Waiting Children

World Vision has been involved with Sri Lanka’s tea estate workers for many years and Lindula AP is an extension of this work. Tea plantation workers have been marginalised in Sri Lanka for a very long time. Originally brought in from South India over 150 years ago, they were eventually exploited for work and isolated from the rest of the country. World Vision’s interventions focus on the well-being of children to ensure that their health, nutrition, education and social needs are met.

In Lindula AP, the majority of the people work as pickers and labourers in the tea estates. They are paid daily, and when work is not available, they face a severe shortage of income.

Also, children lack proper education, and 45% of the population under 12 years old are illiterate. This is due to long travel distances, poor transport facilities and lack of finances for education resulting in a dropout rate of 14.5%, almost 10 times the national average.

In terms of healthcare and child protection challenges, 74% of people live in dismal housing. Whole families live in a single room that is linked to others to form a “line house”. There is little ventilation, and no privacy, and conditions are often unsanitary. Only 67.1% of households have their own latrines and the remaining families share common latrines or defecate in open areas.

While urbanisation rapidly spreads in Son Tra district, children from poor families continue to struggle to meet their basic needs. Almost one in five people live on less than US$2 per day and there are gaps in the areas of housing, transportation and education.

As the area develops, there is an increase in hotels and tourism. But locals are ill-equipped for this change as they lack formal education and technical skills. As a result, they have challenges gaining employment and providing for their children’s basic needs.

The district has the highest rate of stunting in the city, with 18.5% of children under the age of five being affected. Diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, dengue and pneumonia are common diseases among children between 0-14 years old as poor families cannot afford proper healthcare from qualified practitioners.

Parents of poor families spend almost all their time struggling to make a living. As a result, their children are neglected and lack care, guidance and supervision.

In light of these needs, World Vision started the implementation of Son Tra AP in 2015. Through consultation and cooperation with community representatives and the local government, the project aims to improve the well-being of children.