#11. Families, Not Orphanages: How This Changemaker Creates Nurturing Environments That Empower Children to Thrive

In this episode, we meet Praveen Gomez, a Sri Lankan community-builder and global advocate working with World Without Orphans (WWO), a movement active in 99 countries to ensure that children grow up in families rather than institutions.

From his childhood during Sri Lanka’s 30-year civil war to his current role connecting churches, NGOs, governments, and communities, Praveen shares how resilience, compassion, and collaboration can keep families together—and why even the smallest interventions can change a child’s future.

He explains why most children in orphanages still have a living parent or relative, how economic hardship—not lack of love—is often the cause of separation, and why mobilising communities is the key to long-term change. We also discuss practical safeguarding, the importance of parenting support, and the unique human warmth and natural beauty of Sri Lanka.

We explore:

• Why most children in orphanages still have parents or relatives—and how poverty drives separation
• How community action (meals, transport, small grants) can prevent family breakdown
• Building learning communities: how WWO connects national teams across 90+ countries
• Safeguarding and accountability—equipping caregivers and working alongside governments
• Parenting as a shared journey: why training and peer support matter at every stage
• Stories of hope: from refugee parenting camps in Ukraine to local solutions in Colombo
• Sri Lanka’s unique resilience and kindness, shaped by war, crisis, and recovery
• Travel insights: beaches, hill country, tea plantations, and the everyday generosity of Sri Lankans
• Why starting small—one step at a time—creates lasting impact

About our guest

Praveen Gomez is the Implementation Lead at World Without Orphans, helping national leaders collaborate on solutions to keep children in safe, nurturing families. Based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Praveen brings personal resilience from growing up during the civil war and professional expertise in building partnerships across borders.

🔗 LinkedIn
🌏 World Without Orphans Profile

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to World Changers Podcast
• 0:48 Introducing Praveen Gomez
• 2:21 A World Without Orphans Mission
• 6:38 Church's Role in Family Preservation
• 9:15 Collaborative Approach to Orphan Care
• 10:54 Examples of How WWO Makes a Difference
• 14:42 Growing Up in War-Torn Sri Lanka
• 18:00 Sri Lanka's Unique Beauty
• 21:13 Parenting Tips from a Changemaker
• 25:58 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Transcript

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 0:02

Hey World Changers, welcome to your podcast. I'm Amiki Carroll and I travel the world with a sense of adventure and purpose, exploring, learning, having fun and meeting remarkable individuals who are transforming their communities and beyond. Join me as we dive into the inspiring journeys of changemakers from every corner of the globe, tuning in weekly for stories that might just change your life, ignite your passion and show you how ordinary people can create extraordinary impact. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media at World Changes PC and get ready to take off. Hello everyone and welcome. I'm really excited today to interview Praveen Gomez. Praveen serves at the moment with the World Without Orphans, an extraordinary nonprofit that's doing wonderful things in Sri Lanka. Praveen, welcome, you and I met in September in Seoul of all places. Even though you're from Sri Lanka, would you like to introduce yourself properly? Just kind of give us a brief intro to your background and what led you up to what you're doing at the moment.

Praveen Gomez: 1:20

Sure Thank you so much, farid, for having me. Yeah, as you keep pointing, I'm from Sri Lanka. I live in Colombo. I lived here all my life, even though I've traveled a bit and worked elsewhere. But I've been fortunate, I would say, to be born in Sri Lanka, despite all the difficult circumstances that country space, despite all the difficult circumstances, that country space, and I have also been fortunate to be able to serve with the World Without Orphans. I've been here for the last three years and I'm part of the global team that's serving, that is, the team serves in over 99 countries. It's a movement that deals with orphans and we really believe that children need to be in family and that's why this movement was set up and it works with volunteers in various countries, amazing countries, who are just coming together to see this vision fulfilled and children being in family.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 2:27

From experience I know how hard it can be for a child not to have one or both parents. So for me this is really intriguing. When you say a world without orphans, what exactly do you mean? What is the mission? Because clearly you cannot prevent people from dying. So, yeah, what do you mean by that? Can you explain a little bit more about the mission?

Praveen Gomez: 2:46

That's a great question. So what we have found is that, okay, statistics show that there are about over 150 million orphans in the world, and these are, as you also mentioned. These are either children who have lost both parents or just one parent. But we are beginning to see and realize that majority of these children have either a leading parent or a leading relative, and it is very unfortunate that they are torn apart from their family and placed in an orphanage, as we term it, as a kia hou. Now Now let me just clarify also that an orphanage or a kia hou wasn't always bad. You know, those days when nobody really looked after, when parents or children were abandoned. It was these orphanages, days when nobody really looked after, when parents were, our children were abandoned.

Praveen Gomez: 3:47

It was these orphanages that really set up a group of children, and we have to appreciate that, that they did a service that nobody would do. It wasn't that these children would go hungry on the street, but what that led to was it led to people really thinking that giving a child the physical, providing for their physical needs will sort all their problems. And so it was a home that would provide education, provide the clothing and food for these children. But now when we talk to these children in Orkney Agies, even here they are shocked, where they say they long to be in family. That really breaks my heart and I think that's what we are talking about, where, yes, anterior needs have been fulfilled but there is a longing inside when I do part of something to know a family and if they have a moving parent, on the ability, why not first explore if they could be with them, not just be torn from their enemies? Yeah, and it's generally I would say that I think statistics show that over 50% of children who are in and out of the village it's due to economic reasons. It's heartbreaking, right, why, upon no part of where's that they're there?

Praveen Gomez: 5:19

But what is the community that you and I are in?

Praveen Gomez: 5:22

What is the community that you and I are in? What if we can rally around that family that is at risk of this family separation? What if you and I can be there to support this family and say, hey, we're going to come on board to support you, to keep your child with you? You know whether it's providing financial support or maybe just a meal for that family, or maybe, you know, even pick and drop the child from school and back. There are so many ways, practical ways.

Praveen Gomez: 5:56

The community around can do that and our mission at World Record Offerings is really mobilizing the church to be that role, to stand in the gap. Could the church family get on board? Because we see, even in Sri Lanka, we see that many of the orphanages have been started by churchings, which by no means is a bad thing. It was a good thing when nobody else took care of it, the church didn't step in. But now everyone suggests that there's a bad thing. It was a good thing when nobody else took care of it, the church didn't step in. But now everyone suggests that there's a better alternative Children, thriving families and, why not, the church family, get together and support and support a family at risk.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 6:38

Yeah, kudos to all the amazing orphanages that have done great things throughout time. But I can imagine that there'll be some people listening now who, as soon as you mentioned church, family or even orphanage, would have been triggered because, let's face it, the church has been complicit in really perpetrating more harm than good in some cases for some of these orphans or people who've come through the church, or maybe orphanages that are run by the church. So can you just say, in view of that, how you ensure that some of these ills are avoided? What do you put in place to ensure that abuse isn't taking place and that children are actually better off in the long run?

Praveen Gomez: 7:27

Yeah, that's also a great question. So, like you mentioned, I don't think we can point fingers at any orphanage or any church that really started orphanage. As I said, we have to applaud them for being there standing in the gap where nobody else did. But we also now see that families can take care of their children if they're given support, and governments are coming on board to put in safeguarding measures of foster care or kinship care for adoptions, and governments are coming on board with like, for example, beautysafe in Sri Lanka is supporting initiatives or mechanisms. Things are still rolling out. We don't have any foster care in place yet, but the plans are being put in place. I know countries like Australia do amazing work, so it's actually a partnership with different stakeholders. I don't think a church can do it alone, but what we can do as a church is to start preparing preparing families, preparing caregivers, putting the checks and balances in place within our church, safeguarding measures, whether it be our Sunday schools or whether it be for the future adoption of post-secondary courses. But what if the church can actually take a lead? You know, before the governments put pressure? For example, in a developing country, people, governments can say come and look at your Sunday school and say are these measures in place? What if the church can start taking a step and leading in the process? Are these measures in place? What if the church can start taking a step and leading in the process, putting these measures in? And they'll be ahead of the curve and be a role model within the community. That's what we are saying. It's not. I don't think this issue can be solved and don't.

Praveen Gomez: 9:21

It's a very collaborating effort that needs to be done and that's what World Big Heart often does. It's a movement as an agency. It's not an organization. Our goal is to call and equip national leaders to collaborate. That's what we do, because we're not experts. We do not go there and say we know it all Once we rally the group together. That's what we really do. We bring people to that table and say let's discuss and let's strategize how we're going to do it.

Praveen Gomez: 9:56

Then we bring in the experts, and the expert does not mean who are at the forefront. The experts are the people who are on the field, who are doing great work. We share resources, we study. We really know what we call a learning community. We would come together and share our learnings with each other. So we have national teams that would come together and then they're connected to regional teams and you know, for example, we have a South Asia because of our police team. Then they're connected to regional teams and you know, for example, we have a South Asia. We can operate as a team and we learn from India, the big brother across borders, what they're doing and they you know it's vice versa they learn from us, and so there's a lot of learning community. That goes on, and that's where I think we need to implement that too, here.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 10:51

Yeah, that's how it works. Well, listen, I'm all for best practice being adopted. I love it and as you were speaking, I was reminded again that it does take a village to raise children. It's never, ever been. You know the responsibility of just the people who birthed them, and it's wonderful that you're making a difference or at least advocating for bringing people together to make life better for orphans. So tell me, is there? I know you've only been there for three years, but is there any particular story or case study or instance that you'd like to highlight about the difference that this movement is making to the lives of orphans who access your services?

Praveen Gomez: 11:44

Okay, maybe there are two examples I can give. One is in Ukraine, you know, with the war that's going on there. With the war that's going on there, we are really seeing how parenting camps have been taken to the neighboring countries, like Ipona, and then countries like Beth, where these refugees moved to and they have been spent to cope during this time and that's making a huge difference. And we actually had the University of Oxford and people like that come on board to support with evaluating the programs and the evidence is great. They are really seeing a positive change in the parents who have undergone these cope groups, as they've determined, and they're able to be more resilient than what they were then. So there's a lot of positive change, evidence-based positive change we're seeing there.

Praveen Gomez: 12:46

If I look at my home country, we don't have any grand space, but I do have good stories where, for example, this morning, I was with another organization that's wanted to work in Colombo. But I do have good stories where, for example, this morning, I was with another organization that wanted to work in Colombo. They are currently working in the eastern province and they wanted to expand their services to the western province, where Colombo is, and in that meeting it was a meeting just for them to see how they can, what are the gaps and how they can really support. So it was a meeting with members of the Sri Lankan Without Opinions and we came together to discuss this. But in that discussion there was a sister, a Catholic sister, who was having a child, who was part of an orphanage, a home, and there was a child who needed a school, because this child it's a long story, but this child needed access to a school. And you know the meeting was in one election.

Praveen Gomez: 13:46

But there was another member of the team that said, hey, I'm running a school and I can give that child access into our school. And just then they exchanged numbers. I saw them going out of the room calling each other's offices and when we finished the meeting after lunch they said it's done, wow, I had access to school. My heart was just so delighted. And that's what we do, you know. We call, we bring the fathers together to share their struggles, share their ideas, and we are seeing. You know it's making life different to these children. It's one thing to do amazing high-level programs, you know, policy changes and whatnot but when you see lives of individual children changing, I'll give you something else and just so delightful to know that a child has a future because of the work that's going on, I love that, love that, and just.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 14:45

You've now just moved us onto your homeland. I know you've been to quite a few countries, you know with your work in international development, but how did growing up in Sri Lanka shape you as a person?

Praveen Gomez: 15:00

Yeah, I don't think many people know or maybe they do know that we went through a civil war for 30 years, almost 30 years, and for the worst part of my life. I grew up in a country that knew nothing but war. So there was in the city, it was bomb scares. We were famous for suicide bombers and I don't want to go into details, but it was not pleasant. There were checkpoints, there were harassment going on and you know, it's just, it's obviously the country is at war and then the war ended, which was amazing, but then we also had a tsunami that hit us. Yeah, we went through a spurt of the game and then, more recently, a few years ago, we encountered a semi-economic crisis that was still battling the countries in debt and soon battling back, and I tell you it has been a struggle at this time in the countries. But, as you said also, I've been to many countries but there's the market black hole. I think what makes you resilient just going through this fabulous and sometimes even you can get a bit cold because the country has made you so much. But I tell you, there's nothing like our country. Recently, we were named I think they said one of the top five countries that you need to visit in your lifetime. We were have the top islands, so it's a beautiful country, but what has shaped me is, I think it is resilient to and number two, I would say, being compassionate, because we really had to see look out for your neighbor.

Praveen Gomez: 16:52

I remember, during the economic crisis a couple of years ago, we had to look out for your neighbor. I remember during the economic crisis a couple of years ago, we had to wait hours or even days for fuel in the petrol queues and I remember one night I had kept my vehicle, I slept in the vehicle or I put the vehicle in the night, and then it was the next morning that we were. The mouse was going to come and my car broke down in the petrol queue and, amazing, the people around the car offered to push the car right up. It would have been kilometers away. They offered to push my car while I sit in the car to steer the wheel. They were going to push the car in this particular view just so that I wouldn't get gas. I didn't take them off the offer because the cart really broke down. I couldn't move it. I had to just move it aside. But that's what I love about our country that you just see a person's need and you just go and meet them if they're in need.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 17:49

I love that. That's just so heartwarming, isn't it, when you go to a place that's full of friendly people, and I also, like that, you're one of the top five places to visit. I'm really looking forward to coming over in just a few weeks hopefully, you know, less than two months. So, yeah, I can't wait to experience it for myself, but before then, can you just tell me what you consider to be the most unique aspect of Sri Lanka? And, if somebody were to come like, I'm looking forward to coming to Colombo, what must I do? What must I not miss? What is it? That's there, you know, to experience, oh wow.

Praveen Gomez: 18:29

That's a big one. So, from what I've heard, people say that we are a very friendly nation. They do comment that the Sri Lankans are smiling and very hospitable, and I think they are very hospitable to foreigners and even to locals. I mean, you go, if we travel around the country or anybody travels around, like I mentioned, if somebody is in need, they are willing to help. Something to see within our country, because it's a tiny island, I think it just takes a matter of hours to get from the beaches beautiful beaches to the mountainous area, of which the tea plantations, which is stunning. We have a beautiful railway line, that just going across the nine arches bridge, and so I think it's very scenic and that's what I would say is unique about the country that you can see so much of diversity.

Praveen Gomez: 19:28

Yeah, a few months ago I took my cams and we went down south to the beaches I think that's a place you need to go to and suddenly we were swimming and there was this giant turtles that were swimming with us and it was like amazing. I mean, I've heard about it. Sadly, you know, being a Sri Lankan, I've never experienced it until I saw it for myself where these turtles just came up to you and, you know, just went away. They're harmless. So, yeah, of course kids got to be scared, but when we moved to the shore, they're still just coming close to you. So there's so much of diversity and things to see across the beaches and lovely people. You can go to houses and have a meal with them. I think very friendly people. So it's definitely a place to visit. The beaches are a must to see. We have near-round sun. Of course, these few days it has been quite horrible weather with rains, but I think generally it should be good.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 20:28

And yeah, definitely something to see. Goodness, you took the next question right out of my mouth. I was just going to ask when is the best time For anybody who's listening and thinking? Ooh, I must add this to my bucket list.

Praveen Gomez: 20:42

When is the best time of the year to come? Well, honestly, I don't have an answer for that. The movement has been very chaotic. I've been having rains right throughout, so it's very difficult to predict. I would say Google it, you know, shake on. Each season, April is a very hot period. Okay, that time it's quite hot. So maybe avoid that. And you know, coming towards the middle of the year would be really nice, nice time to see.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 21:13

Okay, that's really helpful. Just before we wrap up, is there anything that you'd like to share that you haven't been able to at the moment, or anything you're currently working on? Anything you'd like to share that you haven't been able to at the moment, or anything you're currently working on anything you'd like to?

Praveen Gomez: 21:27

highlight, we have three kids and three kids below six or six and below, so we have a six and a four and a one. See, as much as we really enjoy it, we can get tough, obviously. And then what I love about the work that we do is we encourage or we really talk about parenting tips and getting parenting help, and something I've learned is that getting parenting or training, either formally or informally, getting help on parenting, is, I think, a must for every parent.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 22:04

Yeah.

Praveen Gomez: 22:05

Because it just makes it. You know you're able to learn from each other what works, what doesn't work, and if not, you're just you're just going to struggle in parenting. So I'm just so grateful for the different trainings I have received on, you know, parenting tips, whether it's to handle bullying in tips, whether it's to handle bullying in school, or whether it's to handle a child being traumatized. There are various techniques and skills that you can learn and help the child grow, and so it's so important to get yourself equipped. It's one of the best.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 22:37

I'm at the phase now where I'm very much looking forward to and enjoying grandchildren. But I'm sure much looking forward to and enjoying grandchildren, but I'm sure there'll be lots and lots of listeners who might be interested in hearing one or two of your favorite parenting tips. Maybe you'd like to share. You're right okay.

Praveen Gomez: 22:57

So this is okay. The this is okay. The parenting tip that I learned was that there are different seasons in life for the child. There are impact years, there are mother impact years, father impact years and peer impact years. And I was told that the peer impact years you know, when the child is a teenager, before the child reaches that age, that you need to get to know that your children's friends so that you can influence them, so that before they influence your kids Interesting and I just I remember that.

Praveen Gomez: 23:36

And my one kid was getting bullied in school and I didn't know how to handle it. I knew I had to talk to the parent, but you know I didn't want to just suddenly call up a parent and randomly say you know I'm Suhaso's father and I got your number and you know your child is bullying my child, but I, it just so happened. I thank God for that that. I saw this father outside the school picking up the kids and I just struck up conversation with him and said hey, how about we take our kids for a soccer match, a football match? And he was so excited. He said why don't we do that? And because there was a match coming up. So I agreed to get the tickets and unfortunately I couldn't get the tickets. I couldn't get my hands on the tickets, tickets, so we didn't end up going.

Praveen Gomez: 24:33

But just the fact that they knew that my son was, you know, interested to go on this to watch this match with the other boy, their growing stopped immediately. The next next day. There was no more buddhism. This child became so such with friends of my son and now we go on play dates together and unable to influence that child, so we've been going to the park now together with the parents, and so we have this small clique now as a result of that, and now we've expanded more than just that friend, we have invited others, and now it's this entire group of partners actually that are partners as well, who are coming in with their children on a Saturday morning on in-house, where we're able to now influence each other's children.

Praveen Gomez: 25:15

And now I know if wouldn't this happen, I can easily find these children who come there. I can just call the father and say, hey, there's something that they said. We should keep an eye on this. And you know, I have such a great relationship with these parents now that it's no longer awkward for me to approach the topic and vice versa. If my son is bullying them, they can approach as well. So, yes, I love the fact that these peer-impaired peers and approaching their children, the children's friends, with hope, the peers can impact them.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 25:47

Gosh, that's wonderful. I really really like that. It's just you know, influencing each other for good is really the mark of transformational leadership. I love it. Thank you so much, Praveen. I wish we could carry on and, on, and on, but our time is now very quickly coming to a close. I know that there'll be lots of people who may be stuck in a place where, yeah, they want to do more to make a positive impact in their community, or maybe even support those around the world who are doing that. Is there something you'd like to say to somebody you know, who's not sure where to start or how to go about it? Is there one thing that you can say, you know, that keeps you motivated, gets you out of bed, or that you think might help somebody else?

Praveen Gomez: 26:36

It sounds very basic and I think you just keep hearing that. I think, just starting somewhere. Don't wait for this big programs to do it, just start somewhere. You can just, if you see a need, if you feel a calling to it something, just start in the you know, take a baby step towards it. Just I think that's where it is, and how I got into serving at World Bikap Outputs on working here was because I first volunteered my time with them. I saw the need, I saw an opportunity. I just went forward and did it. I just tapped one thing into another, whereas now I'm doing it full time. As I would say, it just starts somewhere. The world is full of needs. There's so many other things that you and I can do which doesn't need big funding or so much of time. We can do it very simply, whether it's in a small way which will make a great difference in somebody.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 27:31

Yeah, very well said. Thank you so much, praveen. Yeah, looking forward to connecting when I'm out in Colombo and hopefully we'll have more conversations that are so inspiring like this. Thanks for joining us and, yeah, all the best with the work that you're doing.

Praveen Gomez: 27:49

Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 27:53

Thank you so much for joining me on today's episode of World Changes Podcast. I hope you're feeling as inspired as I am by today's conversation. Remember the power to create is within each of us. If you were inspired by today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review. It really helps to spread the word and inspire even more world changers. And be sure to follow us on social media at World Changers PC for updates, behind-the-scenes content and more inspiring stories. Until next time, keep exploring, keep making a difference and remember you can be a world changer.

Humanise Live: 28:38

The World Changers podcast is produced by Humanized Live and presented by Amiki Carroll. Visit theavocadofoundationorg to find out more about how the Avocado Foundation is tackling global inequality through education, stewardship and financial literacy.