During the four and a half years since the COVID- 19 pandemic began, in March 2020, impacts of the virus have shaped Sri Lankan life and society in both seismic and subtle ways. Quantitative studies have produced important statistics about Sri Lankans’ behavior and attitudes regarding COVID-19 and related topics, but the subjective experiences of Sri Lankans who lived through the period are often overlooked. Sarvodaya, with support from the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD), undertook a qualitative study that addressed this gap, giving voice to citizens across the country and posing questions about pandemic effects on every- day life and citizens’ attitudes toward the pandemic response. A specific focus was the roles of religious actors and the pandemic’s impact on religious beliefs and communities.

This brief provides an overview of the insights of focus group participants related to various aspects of their pandemic experiences. It highlights key ways in which the pandemic affected their lives, including economic wellbeing, education, family and community dynamics, and mental health. It also examines participants’ attitudes toward the response from the government, health sector, and religious communities. Two further sections focus on participants’ attitudes regarding the vaccine rollout and the challenges in accessing reliable information regarding the virus and vaccine. Finally, the brief draws some lessons from this dimension of the review.