Ruwani used to sleep beneath a worn tarpaulin near a railway station, clutching her handbag close and her heart even closer. After losing her husband in a sudden accident, she was left with no income, no home, and no relatives willing to help.

For nearly a year, the pavement became her shelter. She avoided crowded shelters out of fear, and survived on temple offerings and the kindness of strangers. But as weeks turned into months, hope began to fade.

“I wasn’t just homeless. I was invisible,” she whispered.

One of our outreach volunteers met Ruwani during a food distribution drive. Moved by her quiet strength and gentle spirit, they invited her into SheriSriLanka’s Homeless Women’s Relief Program.

It was the first time in months Ruwani had slept on a mattress.

We placed her in transitional housing, helped her access medical care, and offered counselling sessions to begin healing the emotional trauma. Soon after, she enrolled in a skills training workshop in tailoring—a passion she had buried long ago.

With a starter sewing machine provided through our Women Empowerment Grant, Ruwani now takes small stitching jobs from local boutiques.

“I used to wake up to train horns. Now I wake up to orders from customers. I still cry, but now they are tears of gratitude.”

Ruwani is now saving money to rent a small room and hopes to teach sewing to other women in need.

Ruwani’s story is one of strength, yes—but also one of timely support, dignity, and compassion. There are many more like her still waiting for their second chance.