The MJF Charitable Foundation and the humanitarian assistance it renders to underprivileged people go much deeper than the acts of ‘charity’ alone.Settlor of the MJF Charitable Foundation, Merrill J Fernando conceived in the 1950s, the idea of a business that would help restore the fortunes of his county’s ailing tea industry, and its million or more direct dependents,  whilst sharing the benefits of that business with the community.  As a young man aged 20, and being what his peers considered to be naive and idealistic, Merrill believed that no business was possible without the combined efforts, involvement and commitment of workers, staff, clients and consumers. In the case of his tea business, that list of stakeholders includes the environment.

He determined therefore that his business should also benefit those other participants. Clearly his vision and passion were the main drivers of his achievement, but he understood that vision and passion alone could yield little without the combined efforts and participation of so many others. He determined that his business should be a matter of human service.

It took Merrill just under 40 years to bring his family tea, Dilmah, to consumers. The concept of a young, middle class Sri Lankan seeking to establish an ethical, producer owned tea business was at the time both controversial and fiercely opposed. Then as now, big transnational businesses controlled the tea industry. During the four decades he fought to achieve his dream, he continued to fulfill the commitment of caring for his staff and workers as comes naturally to any family business.