Community Care in Times of Crisis workshop: Cyclone Ditwah Fundraiser

Community Care in Times of Crisis is a gentle, one-hour online workshop created in response to the recent Cyclone Ditwah. The session offers practical and culturally grounded ways of understanding how communities support one another during periods of collective stress, grief, and uncertainty. Through guided grounding, reflection, and shared learning, participants are invited to reconnect with sources of steadiness and care — both within themselves and their wider communities. The workshop honours intergenerational and diaspora experiences, with no pressure to share or participate beyond personal comfort.

About the facilitator:

Rohan (he/him) is a psychotherapist and workshop facilitator. His work weaves together psychological insight with South Asian cultural understandings of care, connection, and resilience. Rohan is passionate about creating gentle, inclusive spaces that support communities during times of collective stress and recovery.

Why are we fundraising?

We are hosting a series of online wellbeing workshops in January and February 2026, offering accessible practices to support rest, healing, and connection. The programme includes sessions such as yoga, dramatherapy, and mindfulness, led by experienced facilitators. All workshops are designed to nurture collective care while raising funds for communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

Cyclone Ditwah brought intense rain, flooding and landslides to the Hill Country and North-East Tamil regions, with some areas seeing over 350 mm of rainfall in 24 hours and more than one million people affected by loss of homes and livelihoods.

Structural marginalisation—including lack of land ownership and historical injustice—means many Tamil families face severe barriers to accessing relief and reconstruction support, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities.

War displacement forced many Muslim families into temporary, unrecognized settlements. These precarious shelters face extreme vulnerability to flooding and landslides.

Malayaham communities endure compounding vulnerabilities: generational discrimination, exploitation by plantation companies, and substandard housing increase their exposure to landslides and floods.

Gender-diverse and trans individuals navigate daily discrimination, including under Penal Code sections 365, 365A, and 399. Standard relief camps often feel unsafe, and government aid may be withheld entirely.

This online fundraiser supports community-led relief and recovery efforts that prioritise dignity, care and long-term support for marginalised individuals and families.

Sambol Foundation works at the grassroots to support women, children, and marginalised communities through education, healthcare access, and community development initiatives.

Arokiyam pour toustes Collective (France–USA) and the Jaffna Trans Network – JTN have come together to support our people during this critical time. The JTN continues to fight against all forms of sexual, gender, and identity- based discrimination, while also working toward ethnic harmony and justice for Tamil and Muslim communities in the post-war North.

Blue Magpie Foundation supports community-driven projects focused on health, education, and sustainable livelihoods, prioritising empowerment and locally led solutions.

If you have any questions about this fundraiser please reach out the the organsiers Amisha Abeyawardene (hello@amishathebirthworker.com) and Viz Vijayakumar (viz_v@hotmail.com).