Children of Grace

Meet: Nithyakala Karruppaiyah
Date of Birth: Jan. 25, 1991
Place of Birth: Mankulam, Mullaitivu
Hobbies: Reading books and gardening

Nithyakala comes from a very poor, rural village in Sri Lanka’s northern province. Her father abandoned the family years ago, and her remaining family sent her to Grace to provide hope for a more stable future. Nithyakala just finished her O-Level examinations, basic tests en route to studying at the A (Advanced) Level and university preparation. Her favorite subject is religion, and she hopes to become a teacher.

Some of the recent battles in northern Sri Lanka were in Nithyakala’s home village, and she lost track of her remaining relatives.

“It was not safe for me to live where I grew up,” she said. “Due to the war, everyone is displaced. I don’t know where my family is. I always feel sad when I read the papers and listen to the news. I am very worried of my family.”

At Grace, children can believe in a future not seen in newspaper headlines or villages subject to war-inspired displacements. Nithyakala is able to focus on her studies in a safe, loving environment. Grace, she said, is an example for Sri Lanka – and elsewhere – that people of different backgrounds can live together.

“Grace is a tremendous place for a child to grow up. We see each other as members of the same family,” Nithyakala said. “I truly don’t know where I would have been today if not a place like Grace Care.”