Sri Lanka's Forest-Dwellers the Wanniyalaeto or Veddas

Vallippillai has walked the 40-day Kataragama Pada Yatra numerous times in the company of other villagers of the East Coast of Sri Lanka.

Sponsor a Vedda family

If, somewhere halfway around the world, there was a small indigenous family of grandmother, mother and school age son that was struggling to get by and preserve their ancestral traditions at the same time. If you could help them, would you?

Well, such a family exists

Vairamuttu Kandawanam was chief of the Mutur Vedars
As a child, Sushila used to carry her own vel or emblemic spear in the Pada Yatra, just like her grandfather.
As a child, Sushila used to carry her own vel or emblemic spear in the Pada Yatra, just like her grandfather.
Sushila (a.k.a. Sindhu) had her story splashed on front of The Sunday Times when she was eleven years old.
Little Sushila (a.k.a. Sindhu) had her story splashed on front of The Sunday Times one year.
Vallippillai and family live in utter simplicity and poverty year-round. Photo from the 2000s.
Vallippillai and family live in utter simplicity and poverty year-round. Photo from the 2000s.
Vallippillai and family pose before Kataragama Peak after another successful foot pilgrimage to Kataragama, Sri Lanka.
Vallippillai and family pose before Kataragama Peak after another successful foot pilgrimage to Kataragama, Sri Lanka.
Vallippillai (left) and daughter Sushila (right) with Sandana Amma (center) relax in camp after a long trek through Yala National Park.
Vallippillai (left) and daughter Sushila (right) with Sandana Amma (center) relax in camp after a long trek through Yala National Park.
Vallippillai has walked the 40-day Kataragama Pada Yatra numerous times in the company of other villagers of the East Coast of Sri Lanka.
Vallippillai has walked the 40-day Kataragama Pada Yatra numerous times in the company of other villagers of the East Coast of Sri Lanka.

Susila Myilvahanam
Peoples Bank a/c 095200130038144
Paddithidal
Mutur 31200
cell (+94) 760088259