Sujith Weerasinghe, the North West London Regional Relationship Manager for Specsavers, has founded a new charity dedicated to supporting children and families affected by the tragic Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka in 2019.
The devastating attacks, which targeted churches and hotels in Colombo, claimed 167 lives of Catholices at Easter worship in three churches, left many children orphaned or severely injured. Three luxury hotels too were bombed and 45 foreigners killed.
In response to the tragedy, Weerasinghe, who is a practicing Buddhist, reached out to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, to explore the creation of a scholarship program. His vision was to offer a lifeline to those who had lost everything, providing opportunities for education and skill development to help rebuild their futures.
Speaking to the Sunday Island, Weerasinghe shared, “We genuinely want to support our people. These beautiful children have endured unimaginable pain, and the least we can do is help them access education and bring some light into their lives. Hearing their stories has been heartbreaking but also inspiring, as their strength and resilience shine through.”
He added, “Our goal was to create a programme that offers long-term support, helping children and families gain the education they need to move forward. The funds raised will provide monthly scholarships to those most in need, giving them the tools to earn a living and improve their futures.”
In October 2024, Weerasinghe travelled to Colombo to meet with Cardinal Ranjith and Reverend Father Fernando to discuss how the funds could be most effectively distributed. The result was the formation of Pathway to My Hope, a charity rooted in the same values held by Specsavers, promoting education and professional development.
The fundraising efforts began shortly after the bombings in 2019. Weerasinghe, alongside colleagues David Brett-Williams (ophthalmic director at Specsavers Luton), Pragna Raghwani (regional chair for Hertfordshire), and Ali Hashim (vice-chair), led a two-week campaign across participating stores. Each store donated £1 for every sight test conducted, ultimately raising £13,843 for the cause.
“We were amazed at how quickly the initiative came together,” said Weerasinghe. “Thanks to the incredible support from David, Pragna, Ali, and all our store partners, we were able to make a real impact in a short amount of time. It was heartening to see the Specsavers community come together for such an important cause.”
The Pathway to My Hope Scholarship Programme will officially launch on May 1, 2025.
Charity trustees Sujith Weerasinghe, Dilmith Weerasinghe, and David Brett-Williams expressed their excitement as the long-anticipated initiative prepares to begin, bringing tangible hope and support to the children and families still recovering from the events of Easter Sunday 2019.
(By Sujeeva Nivunhella reporting from London)
