How a small group of volunteers in Sri Lanka keeps compassion alive—one village, one family, one school at a time.
Along the shores of the Indian Ocean, in the island nation of Sri Lanka, a small group of volunteers has been quietly carrying out acts of kindness for years. Their work rarely appears on social media, and even within the local Chinese community, many people have never heard of them. Yet in rural villages and hillside schools, their presence is remembered in very practical ways—bags of rice delivered on time, a classroom with safe railings, a well that finally provides clean water.
Recently, a friend shared a message that captured the spirit of this group perfectly:
“Another March arrives, and once again we begin the year with love. The podium we donated last year is now in use. This year we added railings, a flag platform, and a proper base—small details that make the school safer and more complete. The shoes we gave two years ago are already too small for the children, but they still remember them. Children’s happiness can be very simple. May we all keep a childlike sincerity, with less greed and anger, and more honesty and kindness. May the world be peaceful, and may people choose compassion.”
The message came from volunteers of the China–Sri Lanka Friendship Development Association, a community-based charity group formed by overseas Chinese residents and local partners. Their work is modest, consistent, and deeply personal. They visit rural schools with supplies, deliver food packages to families in need, and respond quietly when disasters strike.
At the center of the group is Peng Zhenjiang, the association’s president, a man who speaks softly and prefers stories over slogans. When we met on March 5—China’s annual Day of Learning from Lei Feng, a day associated with volunteerism—he did not talk about grand plans. Instead, he spoke about people he had met:
an elderly man working on crutches after surgery,
a child who brings a single bottle of water to school and makes it last all day,
a simple banner that read only two words: “Thank you.”
A banner with a story
One of the moments Peng remembers most clearly dates back to 2022, when the team began visiting low-income households near Maharagama, not far from Colombo. After careful visits and conversations, they selected several families for long-term support—mostly single-parent households, grandparents raising grandchildren, or elderly people living with almost no income.
One family left a lasting impression.
An elderly man, recovering from leg surgery, was still going out with a walking stick to find temporary work so he could support himself and his young grandson.
The volunteers decided to help quietly but consistently. Every month they delivered basic supplies—rice, dried soy, cooking oil, sugar—just enough to ensure daily meals and allow the grandfather time to recover. They continued for a full year.
When they visited again later, the man was able to walk without crutches. His health had improved, and the household felt more stable.
The volunteers had prepared a banner to thank the donor who had funded the assistance, but the donor had only one request:
“Please don’t thank me. If you want to write something, thank Lei Feng. Anyone who does good can be called Lei Feng.”
So the banner simply read: “Thank you, Lei Feng.”
It remains one of the association’s most treasured keepsakes—a reminder that kindness can travel across borders without needing recognition.
When charity becomes a long road
Over time, the group’s work expanded from helping individual families to supporting rural schools, especially in remote areas of Sri Lanka’s hill country.
During one visit, they discovered that the greatest challenge was not books or uniforms, but something far more basic: water.
In several schools, there was no reliable source of drinking water.
Children brought small bottles from home and tried to make them last the entire day.
Some schools had no well at all.
Electric fans were missing—not because of a lack of equipment, but because electricity costs were too high to afford.
The volunteers realized that solving these problems would take patience.
They are a small organization, with limited resources, and cannot help every school at once. Instead, they conduct visits, speak with teachers and local officials, and work step by step, focusing on the most urgent needs first.
“Charity is never something you finish in one moment,” Peng says.
“If we can improve one thing at a time, that is already meaningful. This year, clean water for schools is one of our priorities.”
Their guiding rule is simple:
do not rush, do not make a show of it, and do every small task properly.
A bridge between people
Peng insists that the association does not see itself as the source of generosity, but as a bridge.
Many donors in China want to support communities overseas but do not know how. The association helps connect those intentions with real needs in Sri Lanka.
Over the years, the group has also cooperated with larger charitable organizations, helping deliver donations to schools and communities across the country. Transparency, Peng says, is essential to keeping that trust.
Every donation is used only for supplies and assistance, while volunteers cover their own travel and living costs.
“We are ordinary people,” he says with a smile.
“We don’t have great power. We just try to do what we can, where we are.”
Kindness without noise
In a world where good deeds are often measured by how widely they are seen, the volunteers of this small association have chosen another path.
No campaigns, no headlines, no constant posts online.
Just visits to villages, conversations with teachers, deliveries of rice, repairs to school buildings, and the quiet hope that small acts, repeated often enough, can make life a little easier for someone else.
On an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, their work continues—steady, understated, and deeply human.