From Survival to A New Beginning
Dear Sir or Madam,
I never imagined that I would one day have to write a letter like this.
Asking strangers for help is one of the hardest things I have ever done. To be completely honest, I feel embarrassed to ask for financial assistance. However, I have reached a point where I have no other choice, and I hope you will allow me to share my story with you.
Everything I write in this letter is true. I kindly ask you to read it until the end before making your decision.
I am a Sri Lankan woman and I have never been married. I lost both of my parents when I was very young, and from then on I had to build my life through determination and hard work.
By 2009, I had achieved financial independence. I had a stable career with a good salary and employment benefits. In addition to my full-time profession, I also worked as a voice artist and presented radio and television programmes. I loved my work and believed my future was secure.
Then, everything changed.
Without any warning, I suffered a blood clot in my brain. My entire right arm and right leg became paralysed, and I even lost the ability to speak properly. As someone who had always relied on my creativity, the greatest heartbreak was losing the use of my right hand. I could no longer write, use a computer, or continue the career I had spent years building.
In what felt like a single moment, I lost not only my health, but also my profession, my income and my independence.
After a long and difficult recovery, I was fortunate to regain much of my physical ability. Although my right leg still gives me trouble, I can now stand and walk again. For that, I am truly grateful.
Unfortunately, recovering my health did not restore the life I had lost.
Seventeen years have passed since my illness, yet I have never been able to secure permanent employment again. Today, I survive by doing freelance work whenever opportunities arise, but the income is irregular and far from enough to meet my financial responsibilities.
During my illness, every rupee I had saved was spent on treatment and daily living expenses. The financial support provided by my employer was also exhausted. Afterwards, a few close friends helped me as much as they could, but I knew I could not continue depending on their generosity forever.
Then Sri Lanka went through one national crisis after another—the Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, the severe economic collapse and many other hardships. Like countless other Sri Lankans, I struggled simply to survive.
With no other option, I began borrowing money at monthly interest rates of 10% and 12%. At first, I believed I would repay everything once my situation improved. Instead, I found myself borrowing more money just to pay the interest on previous loans.
Before long, I became trapped in a cycle of debt from which I could no longer escape.
Today, the burden of those loans and the accumulated interest has become overwhelming. Every month, I fight simply to keep up with the interest payments, while the debt itself continues to grow. It has reached a point where I cannot overcome it through hard work alone.
There have been moments when I have felt completely hopeless. Yet I have never lost my respect for life, and I have never given up. I still believe that compassion exists, and that there are people willing to extend a helping hand to someone who is genuinely trying to rebuild her life.
To free myself from this debt and begin again, I need approximately LKR 2,000,000 (around USD 6,000). Receiving this support would allow me to repay my outstanding loans, stop the relentless cycle of interest, and finally move forward with hope instead of fear.
I am not asking for luxury or comfort. I am simply asking for the opportunity to live without overwhelming debt and to rebuild my life with dignity.
If you are able to help in any way, no matter how small the contribution, it will bring me one step closer to a fresh beginning. Your kindness would mean far more than financial assistance—it would restore hope at a time when hope has become difficult to find.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Whether or not you are able to help, I am deeply grateful for your time, your compassion and your consideration.
With sincere gratitude and God bless you,
-Narmada -
