WOMEN HELPING WOMEN:
South Asians in the U.S. Mobilize and
Advocate For Relief & Development Aid

Thirty women in Sri Lanka’s Kalladi Village actively participated in rebuilding their community, running the boatyard and constructing sixty fiberglass fishing boats; boats that enabled their husbands to return to the livelihood that had sustained their families prior to the December 2004 tsunami.

From the early 1980’s, ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka took a violent turn, and over the next two decades, over one million Sri Lankans fled the small island. Much of this diaspora is now living in the United States, Canada and the U.K. Inspired by the dedication and perseverance of the women in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan women across the U.S. have begun to mobilize!

The East Coast “IMHO Women’s Forum” and the West Coast “Shantham” held their first meetings at the end of 2006, with impressive turnout, enthusiasm and commitment. They are the voice of South Asian women who have suffered for generations. As a collective, these women have established their mission as “Advocating for and promoting women’s empowerment, securing children’s welfare, and providing humanitarian aid and refugee relief in South Asia.”

Operation USA is proud to support these women’s groups, who have the potential to affect real change in the lives of women and children everywhere.