Life

It is a hot, humid day in Colombo as I make my way to ‘Sumithrayo’, a volunteer-based charity, to speak to Jomo about what the organisation does to prevent suicide in Sri Lanka. Jomo, a tall man with wide shoulders and a blunt, no-nonsense manner, is clear from the outset that he would like to keep much of his personal information—including his last name—to himself, explaining that anonymity is key in the work they do. “Callers must not feel they know who they are talking to,” he said. “If they know who they are talking to, they may be deterred from divulging information about themselves because they are afraid of social consequences. It is absolutely imperative that we remain anonymous.”