After the passage of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka, many families found themselves left vulnerable: schools were affected and several communities had to face the urgent need to rebuild. In this difficult context, the Atypique Foundation chose to act quickly, but also in a lasting way.
As early as the first few weeks, a funding package of 15,000 USD was released to provide concrete assistance to affected populations. Added to this effort was a strong internal outpouring of solidarity: the Atypique teams donated a day’s salary, while a Leetchi fundraiser shared with travelers helped raise an additional €1,290.
Beyond immediate aid, an essential question guided every decision: how to use these funds in the fairest, most useful and most sustainable way possible?
A show of solidarity after Cyclone Ditwah
In the face of a natural disaster, the first acts of solidarity are often spontaneous. In Sri Lanka, as elsewhere, food, rice, rations and prepared meals distributions help meet the urgent needs of affected populations.
These actions are essential in the first days. They provide direct support to families who sometimes have lost everything. But when initiatives multiply without sufficient coordination, they can also lead to waste—especially when many prepared meals are distributed at the same time in the same areas.
The Atypique Foundation therefore decided to take a balanced approach: act quickly to address the emergency, while also preparing a project that can have a lasting impact on a local community.
This vision is fully in line with Atypique’s values: travel differently, stay close to local people, and contribute, at its own scale, to a more human and more responsible development in Sri Lanka.
Emergency assistance from the first weeks
In the weeks that followed Cyclone Ditwah, part of the Atypique team traveled to Nuwara Eliya, a region that was heavily affected. On site, the teams took part in cleaning some of the disaster-stricken areas and distributed essential supplies to the affected families.
Being on the ground made it possible to better understand the real needs of the communities and to direct the aid in a more concrete way. This was not only about providing financial support, but also about being there, listening, and acting as close as possible to local residents.
A second trip was then organized to Mahiyanganaya, and afterward in the surrounding areas of Badulla. This time, the initiative focused on distributing school materials to disadvantaged communities living in the plantations.
For the children concerned, finding their way back to school under good conditions means far more than simply returning to routine. It is an important step toward regaining confidence, reconnecting with a stable environment, and continuing to learn despite the difficulties they have faced.
Rebuilding a school in Sri Lanka: a lasting project at the heart of tea plantations
After this first emergency phase, the Atypique Foundation wanted to commit to a longer-term action. Rebuilding a school in Sri Lanka is not limited to repairing damaged buildings. It is also about giving children a safe, dignified environment that is suited to their future.
After several site visits and the necessary steps with local authorities, the choice was made to support a public school located in the tea plantation region, on the side of Rangala.
During the cyclone, the school’s sanitation facilities were swept away by a landslide. This situation significantly weakened the conditions for welcoming both students and educational staff.
The Atypique Foundation will therefore fund the construction of new sanitation facilities, as well as connecting the school to potable water. These works are essential to ensure better hygiene conditions, protect children’s health, and allow the school to operate in a safer environment.
An educational project geared toward the future
The support provided to this school does not stop at rebuilding the sanitation facilities. The Atypique Foundation wants to accompany the school with a broader ambition: to improve the entire school environment.
The project therefore includes several key areas:
- the progressive renovation of the school;
- improving hygiene conditions;
- connection to potable water;
- the creation of a computer lab;
- students’ access to new digital tools.
Creating a computer space is a particularly important milestone. In a school located at the heart of tea plantations, access to digital technology can open up new learning possibilities. It enables children to discover other tools, develop their curiosity, and prepare for a future in which digital skills play an increasingly growing role.
This project reflects a strong conviction: education is one of the most powerful tools for building tomorrow. By improving learning conditions, the Atypique Foundation aims to give students the means to dream bigger and to look ahead with confidence.
A school chosen for its energy and commitment
This school was not chosen by chance. The Atypique Foundation teams visited it several times before confirming their commitment. With each visit, they were struck by the remarkable dedication of the teaching staff.
The teachers stand out for their passion, their availability, and their constant attention to the children’s well-being. Their daily commitment creates a positive, lively, and deeply human atmosphere.
In this school, you can feel a special energy: motivated teachers, students who are happy to learn, a close-knit community, and a genuine desire to move forward together.
It is precisely this kind of environment that gives meaning to the Foundation’s work. Where local commitment is strong, each contribution can create real impact. The funded works won’t be limited to new infrastructure: they will support a momentum that is already in place, driven by women and men committed to the future of children.
The construction site is underway
The construction officially began on April 29, with an estimated duration of about a month and a half. To mark this important moment, the school team arranged a particularly moving welcome for the representatives of the Atypique Foundation.
The students’ marching band was there to celebrate the start of the works. A powerful symbol—both simple and touching—that reminds us that behind every reconstruction project are children, teachers, families, and an entire community.
This construction site represents far more than a physical intervention. It embodies a way of acting after a disaster: not only to repair what has been destroyed, but to create the conditions for a more dignified, safer, and more promising future.
Thanks to the Atypique Foundation, the dedication of the teams, and the generosity of travelers, this tea plantation school will soon be able to provide its students with better hygiene conditions, access to clean drinking water, a renovated school environment, and a digital space to learn in a different way.
After Cyclone Ditwah, this initiative serves as a reminder that solidarity can go beyond urgency. It can become a real driver of reconstruction, education, and hope.
Supporting a school means supporting far more than a building. It means helping children, encouraging passionate teachers, and contributing to the building of new possibilities for an entire community in Sri Lanka.
