In the quiet corners of Sri Lanka where the sea meets the fields and the air hums with untold stories, a young voice has risen not through volume but through clarity of purpose. Dilmani is that voice, a force of nature herself, not defined by years but by the urgency in her words and the defiance in her actions. She is not waiting to inherit the Earth. She is already fighting for it.
Born in the lush but climate-vulnerable Southern Province of Sri Lanka, Dilmani grew up surrounded by green hills, swaying coconut trees, and the rhythm of rural life. Her village, once peaceful and predictable in its seasons, has become a place where the rains either do not come or arrive with violent floods. Her earliest memories are filled with stories of people displaced by water, of crops lost to dry spells, and of children falling ill as drinking water turned unsafe. Climate change was never a distant headline. It was her childhood, her neighborhood, and her home unraveling before her eyes.
As a child, she often watched her parents struggle to explain why the weather was no longer what they had known. The streams ran dry in months they were supposed to flow, and the rice fields her family depended on could no longer be trusted. These moments left deep impressions on her young mind. But instead of turning away, she began to ask questions. And in time, she began to answer them with action.
Her turning point came when she joined Save the Children’s Red Alert on Climate campaign. It gave her the tools to speak, and more importantly, it gave her a stage from which others could listen. Through this campaign, Dilmani began sharing her story across schools, community groups, and online platforms, becoming a voice not just for herself but for thousands of young people in vulnerable communities. She has addressed local councils, participated in global youth climate dialogues, and inspired change not through anger but through hope and truth.
But the path has not been easy. Speaking out as a young girl in conservative rural settings brought criticism and resistance. Many told her that climate activism was not her place, that her voice should be quieter, and her dreams smaller. Access to resources, technology, and even transport to meetings and workshops were constant hurdles. Yet each challenge only sharpened her resolve. Dilmani’s belief in a sustainable and just future never flickered.
Today, she stands as one of Sri Lanka’s most inspiring young climate activists, proving that age is not a barrier to leadership. Her journey has already impacted environmental education programs in her region and encouraged other young people to step forward. In a world that often looks to leaders in suits, Dilmani reminds us that true environmental change can begin in the worn sandals of a schoolgirl who refuses to be silent. She does not wait for change to come. She becomes the change.