Emerge Lanka Team with Ambassador Russel Arnold 

Foundation re-launches Centre for Re-integration

Rani* was 18 years old when she connected with Emerge Lanka Foundation. As a survivor of child sexual abuse with an ongoing court case against her abuser, Rani had been placed in government-run institutional care for her own protection and spent most of her formative years in the shelter system alongside other young girls in similar situations. Now, at 18 and legally an adult, she found herself in a liminal space - no longer the government’s responsibility, yet without practical knowledge to navigate the outside world alone, after years of institutional care with little exposure to life beyond its walls. 

According to the Census of Child Care Institutions report published by the Department of Census and Statistics in collaboration with the Department of Probation and Child Care Services in 2019, 10,632 children like Rani remain in institutional care in Sri Lanka. Each of these children will eventually have to step back into society when they become legal adults and face this ever- changing world, most often on their own. Many of these children, whose child abuse cases can take years to resolve in court, live in shelters that lack the resources to provide safe, community- based life skills education that prepares children to navigate the world as independent adults. 

Consequently, these children and young adults transition into the community without the support system or knowledge that they need to succeed and are left vulnerable to unsafe work, exploitation, trafficking, and abuse. 

Young survivors are learning new skills, gaining confidence and preparing to start their journey of independence

Practical and experiential support 

To fill this gap, Emerge launched the Emerge Centre for Reintegration in 2016, where young individuals aging out of the government care system would receive practical and experiential support as they charted their own path of independence and self-reliance. Rani was a part of the 3rd cohort of the Emerge Centre and, although she had her challenges, was determined to make full use of her time there. From 2016 until the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Emerge Centre supported 74 participants like Rani, helping them safely take their first steps toward independent adulthood. 

Young adults like Rani were able to work on their mental health, build skills for navigating the community, and secure their first job within the intentional environment that is the Emerge Centre. Once Rani graduated from Emerge, she went on to work at a local jewelry boutique where she was able to learn a new set of skills and widen her horizons. During this time, she met her partner, they got married and now have a beautiful baby boy together. Since then, Rani has been working on her dream to start her own sewing business with a machine that was donated to her by an Emerge friend. Rani is applying the skills and confidence she gained from the Emerge Centre to start her entrepreneurial journey. 

Life updates 

Her aim? Financial independence and creating a comfortable life for her son, vastly different from the life she experienced growing up. Much like many alumni, Rani checks in with the Emerge team and shares life updates along the way. “I am so grateful to you all at Emerge for embracing me with love and building my confidence and skills. Your faith in me has empowered me to take this step in starting my little business,” Rani wrote in a letter addressed to the team after she launched her own sewing business. 

With the pandemic and economic crisis impacting its operations, the Emerge Centre for Reintegration was put on halt in 2020. Emerge, continued its other programming and leveraged this time to revamp its Centre curriculum and to hone into its trauma-sensitive approach. As 2024 began, Emerge worked diligently to re-open and strengthen the innovative model, incorporating alumni feedback and strengthening Emerge’s resource network. In June 2024, Emerge re-opened its Centre doors to the first programme participant post-pandemic. 

‘The Centre’s experiential education makes it unique. This space is one where participants can safely discover themselves, ask big questions, and build a lifelong network of support. We are so honored to be here to equip them with tools, support, and community during this critical time in their lives. A huge thank you to our entire community and our tireless team for coming together to rebirth this truly pioneering launchpad for these remarkable young women.” says Alia Whitney-Johnson, Founder and CEO of Emerge Lanka Foundation. 

Independent living 

The Centre offers a comprehensive programme on independent living through experiential learning. Participants gain essential life skills, self-defense training, reproductive health education, IT skills, and access to group and individual therapy, along with other healing modalities. Additionally, they engage in supervised excursions like going to the bank, taking public transport, and shopping at a grocery store. These hands-on experiences enable them to learn everyday skills that they did not have the ability to learn while they lived in institutional care. The team also collaborates with each Centre participant to build intentional employment or educational goals. After the 3-month residential programme, Emerge places participants in jobs or education institutes based on their interests and capacities. Through regular check-ins post- graduation, participants find their own pace with their independence. Based on their individualised care plan, some participants continue their mental health journey long after the programme. 

The community is the backbone to the important work that Emerge does with survivors. You can make a difference for young women leaving institutional care by becoming a safe and trusted employer, a mentor, a volunteer, or by making a contribution. Learn more at www.emergelanka.org. 

As Emerge Ambassador, Russel Arnold, puts it, “When survivors are supported it only makes the world a better place. That impact reflects back on every part of society.” 

*”Rani •• is a pseudonym, as Emerge does not disclose the name, identifying photos, or identifying details of any participant’s story. By protecting the anonymity, dignity and choice of each Emerge participant and alumni, survivors have the choice of moving beyond being defined by their trauma. 

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