The Aspire Community Foundation
Empowering and Uplifting Communities through Working Together
The Aspire Community Foundation
Empowering and Uplifting Communities through Working Together
Our projects cover three broad areas which align with our objectives and vision. These include welfare projects, education and training and supporting sustainable livelihoods. In Sri Lanka, as elsewhere in the world, communities are dealing with economic difficulties and health issues brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have therefore focused some efforts on welfare and food needs of poorer and rural communities who have found it difficult to access employment and basic needs. We are also supporting educational needs through sponsorship and bursary programmes to help students stay in education.
Training courses and career support is also a priority as obtaining employability skills will help gain access to employment, allowing families to lift themselves out of poverty. Our vision is to help communities to support themselves with sustainable lifestyles and income, to eventually bridge the inequality gap in earnings and employment so that Sri Lankan communities can enjoy a decent standard of living without long term financial support.
All project details are shared with the permission of donees and organisations we are working with. Many of the project pictures shown on this site (particularly of children) are not those of actual donees, but general pictures depicting the type of project, to protect the identities of the recipients. Pictures from projects have been shared with permission, to draw attention to causes.
Welfare Programmes
Welfare - Covid Relief Food Distribution Programme
We have distributed food supplies packs communities in Colombo, Wattala, Narahenpita, Kirulapona Thotalaga, Grandpass, Orugodawatta, Enderamulla, Kochikade, Bopitiya, villages in the South near Galle and the villages of Periyakulam and Thirumalpuram in the Trincomalee District. We continue to make distributions every month working through partner NGOs and volunteers to reach these remote rural villages which are in need and do not have access to the charitable distributions in the Colombo area. Although we do not usually raise funds from the public, the Covid food relief programme has been an exception, where interested parties have made donations towards feeding the poor and daily wage earners impacted by the pandemic. All contributions every month, go directly to the communities being supported through our own volunteers and other NGOs. All donations are acknowledged, with details shared. If you would like to find out about contributing to food relief programmes, please contact us for more information, including areas being supported and how to donate. For more information on this project contact us
PPE & Medical Equipment Donations
We have funded essential Personal Protective Equipment and sanitiser for the Angunukola Pellessa Prison in the South, responding to an urgent request. 90% of the prisoners were COVID positive at the time and there was a shortage of PPE. The Foundation has also provided funds for a PPE supplies pack for offices and state support centres in need. Further PPE donations were made to two centres in Siyambalanduwa and Badalkumbura (Moneragala), collaborating with LEADS NGO. We have also supported an appeal from the Kandy Hospital towards the purchase of an important piece of equipment for monitoring COVID patients - a multi-parameter machine. The machine was purchased by a volunteer group in Kandy with funds collected from several donors (image shown).
Education Programmes
Mahinda Special Education Model School
The Mahinda School for Special Education Needs supports a community in the Ampitiya region of Kandy. The Foundation has supported the school through donations on a quarterly basis to help with educational supplies, sports equipment and renovations to the playground area and grounds. The school was opened by former Education Minister IMRA Iriyagolle - the grandfather of the Founders of The Aspire Community Foundation.
Sponsorship for University Students
We are supporting university students from underprivileged communities with their study and educational expenses to ensure they are able to complete their education. Many students attending universities in Colombo and in other areas come from families that are not able to support their living and study expenses. We have also supported a final year medical student (JAS) with a bursary towards his final year fees enabling him to complete his year, when his parent was in financial difficulties. A monthly award can help a student who is struggling financially to complete their education and continue on to contribute usefully to society.
Scholarships and Sponsorships for School Students
We are working with partner NGOs and schools to support students with funds towards completing their school education. These awards help students with potential and without the means, to continue their education.
Projects with Partners
Vocational Training and Educational Support for Abuse Survivors in Nanthavanam, Kilinochchi
We are working with LEADS - an established NGO working in Sri Lanka to support their programmes for children who have suffered child abuse in the Kilinochchi area (North Sri Lanka). LEADS has commenced a new project 'Kuyilaham' to support and counsel girls who have survived abuse, at a therapeutic centre in Nanathavanam, Kilinochchi. As they cannot attend a mainstream school, education is provided through tutors and classes at the centre for the main subjects of Maths, English and Science. Training is also provided for the older children to help them gain skills for future employment or self employment.
The Foundation will be funding the teaching scheme for students taking O-levels through payment of monthly fees and supporting a 3 month vocational training scheme for girls to learn sewing, with the purchase of two machines, plus meeting the costs of materials and trainer costs. This will enable these young women to learn a potential self-emplyment skill to earn an income when they leave the centre.
For more information on LEADS and their projects visit their website by clicking on the post title.
Sustainable farming and food projects with women
We have partnered with WE'RE SL - an NGO working with severely disadvantaged communities in the South and East of Sri Lanka. The sustainable farming and food growing project has empowered women in the Hambanthota area including around 25 families to grow their own vegetables. Some women are farmers and have cultivations that earn income. Others have grown vegetables in their gardens to feed families and sell or share the surplus.
We have provided seed funding to women farmers growing paddy and manioc to purchase necessary equipment and fertiliser for growing their crops.
Women in the community have been given support with agricultural training and purchasing seeds which can be grown in their gardens or in used rice bags donated from local hotels.
This project has allowed an entire community to feed themselves and their neighbours. Poverty in this area is extreme, therefore self sustenance has been beneficial to these families.
Educational Support for the children of prisoners with Lanka Prison Fellowship (LPF)
We have partnered with the Lanka Prison Fellowship (LPF), an organisation that works to support, rebuild, and restore the lives of poor and vulnerable children of prisoners by providing assistance in the areas of safety, health care, education, and spiritual resiliency. The Foundation will be sponsoring the education of a number of nominated university students and school students who are children of prisoners.
Food Distribution with Foundation of Goodness (FoG)
We have supported the food supplies distribution programme coordinated by the Foundation of Goodness, contributing towards 2000+ parcels distributed in July. These food parcels go to daily wage earners in rural Sri Lankan villages, whose income has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
To learn more about the Foundation of Goodness and their work, visit their website by clicking on the title of this post.
Computer Skills Training Sponsorship with Foundation of Goodness (FoG)
The Foundation has sponsored three students to be trained in Computer and IT skills at the Foundation of Goodness Empowerment centres. This training will give useful employability skills to young adults in the rural areas, giving them the opportunity to find employment.
Food Distributions to Needy Communities with ReachOut
ReachOut is a volunteer organisation that is committed to supporting the needy with cooked food (food kitchen) and dry rations distributions. We have supported these projects with several donations towards their efforts in the local community. An essential rations distribution for 100 families whose earnings were affected by COVID-19 in the Moratuwa area was completed in March 2022.
Training and Education Sponsorships for Care Leavers with the Generation Never Give Up Network (GNGN)
The Foundation has sponsored a GNGN student towards completing an English course to improve his language skills to help gain employment. GNGN supports young people who have come through the care system and require sponsorship for training courses and preparation for employment. We have also sponsored a care leaver for Chartered Accountancy exams to help her continue her studies whilst working for EY.