Reverend Selladuraj Balasundaram, affectionately known as Father Bala, is an influential church leader in Sri Lanka. In the short video below, Father Bala tells us why it’s important to strengthen families. 

Sri Lankan-born, he has been in the Diocese of Colombo for over 25 years. Throughout his years he has worked in many areas from youth education and formation to missions and is currently the head of a department that oversees social responsibilities. He is currently a pastor in an urban church with a Tamil and English congregation. He also works as a cognitive behavioral therapist (CBT) and marriage counselor. Soon after the civil war in Sri Lanka ended in 2009, he visited orphaned and disabled children living in the war zone.  

His desire to see children in families only grew after that experience. He sees many children and families that are affected by mental health issues and everyday stressors, some of which stem from digital media. He firmly believes that strengthening families is necessary to help end orphanhood and the vulnerable child crisis worldwide.