Ruwan and Priyadarshani live in Katana with their three sons. They also support Ruwan’s elderly mother. Being the sole breadwinner of the family, Ruwan works hard as a manual boiler operator at a reputed hotel in the tourist hub of Negombo. However, all his efforts earn him a monthly income of only LKR 24,000, which is hardly sufficient to cover the expenses of his family.

His wife Priyadarshani, is unable to work as she is the primary caregiver for their son Sithum (17) who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Having being born with congenital brain defects has left Sithum dependent on the support of his family all his life.

Irangani (42) and her family of five, live in a small tin hut which only has space to accommodate five plastic chairs and a small wooden stove. Irangani and her family spend the day in the hut and go to her mother’s house many meters away, just to sleep at night. The family has been following this routine for the past 23 years due to the inadequate space and lack of security of their current temporary shelter.

Irangani’s husband Nimalasiri (48) is a daily-wage labourer who earns only LKR 22,000 a month – that too depends entirely on whether he is able to secure work that month. Together they have a young daughter, Dinudi (11) and two sons, Sarath (26) and Chamira (21), who also work as daily-wage labourers, hoping to supplement their father’s income.

Dinithi (29) and Dushantha (35), the young parents of Oshani (8) and Oveesha (4 months) greet us on the porch of their rented, partially constructed one-room they call home.

Dinithi tells us that many years ago, Dushantha purchased a small plot of land in the nearby village with the hopes of constructing a home of their own one day. However due to severe financial constraints, they have been unable to save enough to construct a home of their own. They currently live in a small one-bedroom shelter which is on a land that belongs to a family friend. In return for looking after the property, Dinithi and her family have been allowed to live in the partially constructed room for a nominal rent.

Kishan (33), is the first born of Christopher and Padmawathi (60) living in Kadirana, Katana. Kishan started showing signs of weakening mental stability and cognitive development when he was just 07 years old. His family believes that he lost his ability to speak after a traumatic experience when children in the neighborhood scared him with firecrackers, while he was playing alone.

Christopher, the owner of a flourishing delivery business at the time and proprietor of multiple lands and a vehicle of their own sold off all of their assets in the hopes of providing Kishan with the best medical attention possible to help him return to normalcy, to no avail.

Meghamala (47) is a single mother living in Katana, caring for both her aged mother Agnes (82) and her granddaughter Oshadi (7). While she has two sons, her eldest son (Oshadi’s father) works as a daily-wage labourer and contributes little towards Oshadi’s well-being and daily needs. Meghamala’s husband who was the sole breadwinner of the family throughout their 20-year marriage, left her and the children destitute when he abandoned her. Without a place of their own to call home, Meghamala and the children were forced to move into a rented one-bedroom space, and have been living there for many years. Although she has inherited a plot of land, she lacks much-needed funds to build a home.

Rohan was a happy-go-lucky young boy who dreamed of a future in the big city one day. Tragically, he met with a life-altering accident when he was a teenager and lost his right foot as a result. RohanApart from having to adjust to a future with a life-long impairment, Rohan also had to give up on his dreams of leaving the village and travelling to Colombo in search of a job. Rohan was often overlooked when job opportunities arose, because of his disability. Even though he was faced with insurmountable obstacles, Rohan never let it disillusion him.

Shantha (42) and Niluka (35), were high school sweethearts, who have now been married for 18 years. As youth they dreamed of beginning a happy life together and starting a family of their own, in a home of their own. They never imagined that life would take them along an unchartered course of hardships.

Today, Shantha and Neluka live in a one-room wooden shack with their two teenage daughters, in Kadirana, Negombo. Their current home which is only 180 sq.ft (16 sq. meters), is built with wooden planks that have now begun to decay over time, due to dampness and heat.

Pradeep Thushantha (46) and his wife Rasika Dilrukshi were proud parents of three beautiful and lively children, Pushpa, Salome and Salom. They lived in Katuwapitiya, in the Gampaha District. Their two daughters Pushpa and Salome schooled at the prestigious Ave Maria Convent in Negombo, while their young son Salom had recently started Grade 1 at Maris Stella College, Negombo.

Christopher is a daily wage labourer who lives in an aging temporary structure with his wife Niluka (44). Christopher finds work whenever he can as a gardener, and Niluka works at a nearby coconut factory for 3 days of the week in order to lessen the financial burden on her husband. Since birth, Christopher had suffered paralysis on his right arm and leg – but his wife recalls how when she met him, he was always a hard-working man despite his physical challenges.

Living on rent for nearly 18 years and constantly having to move, Anne Thushari (39), Anthony (42) and their five sons – Ramesh (20), Ganesh (17), Kavindu (14), Aloka (9) & Yohan (2) have not known the comfort and safety that comes with a permanent home. Today, they live on a 2 perch land near the lagoon, the land was donated to them by the Municipality where Anne works as a daily wage labourer. Anthony managed to build a temporary structure on this land with wooden plans and other raw materials he was able to secure from friends and neighbours.

Selvi and her husband Mahendran have been married for 22 years and live in Negombo. Together they have two vibrant young daughters; Madhushalani (20) and Swetha (16). Residing with Selvi and her family is Selvi’s grandmother, Raakamma who will be celebrating her 99th birthday in December. All five of them live in a small home temporary structure, which has been their home for the part 20 years. Built on 3.5 perches of land donated to them, Selvi and Mahendran built their makeshift home with wooden planks borrowed from their friends and family.