MJF Charitable Foundation – Blog
Business is a matter of human service

“Merrill J. Fernando Challange Trophy” the Annual Cricket Match for the Visually Handicapped took place on the 6th of May 2010 at the NCC Cricket Stadium this year too played between the School for the Deaf and Blind – Monaragala vs Rajarata Jayaviru Sevana – Anuradhapura.

This annual event that coincides with the Settlor’s birthday is considered a special event by the Students of the Deaf & Blind School – Monaragala.

The teams were invited by the MJF Charitable Foundation this year too along with their supports to take part in this event.

You will see in the attached photos the Monaraga team attired in Green and the Anuradhapura in Black.

Whilst compeering was handled by a Student and the Principal of the School Umpiring and Scoring were done by professionals qualified in Cricket for the Visaually Handicapped appointed by the Federation of the Visually Handicapped.

The Match was won by the Deaf & Blind School – Monaragala for the 3rd consercutive time and they inharrited the Challenge Trophy this year.  The award ceremoney began with the differently abled children singing “Happy Birthday to the Settlor”.

Best Player B1 was won by Deshapriya, Best Player B2 was won by …… and the Best Player for B3 was won by Manuka from the Monaragala team.

The winners walked away not only with lots of gifts and sports items but also a Schol for the Captain Deshapriya who have entered the University (the 1st ever student to enter the University from this School) from the MJF Charitable Foundation, whilst the Anuradhapura team walked aways with consolation prices for the entire team.

MJF Kids from Peliyagoda and Maligawatte Centres organized a farewell for their English teacher, Ms. Nelun Senanayake on Saturday 10^th April 2010. She was a volunteer English teacher from the MJF Group staff.

 Her English classes were scheduled for Fridays and she loves to teach the MJF Kids. If she was tied down with a meeting appointment or any urgent office work, she would prepare her lesson in advance and have her assistant take the class for that day. Nelun was a dedicated teacher with so much of love and compassion towards the well being of the MJF kids. She would personally get involved in the lives of kids and teach kids much more than their usual English lesson. She used to reward kids in various ways for their good performances, creating a sense of motivation towards the learning English subject and attending classes every day.

 With much regret the MJF Kids had to say good bye to their much loved teacher, Ms. Nelun Senanayake on the 10^th April, 2010. Kids had organized an outstanding performance with speeches, songs and dance in appreciation for what their entire teacher had contributed towards them. Nelun worked with the kids for almost two years and made a remarkable improvement in the Kids. She will remain in the hearts of kids as one of their favorite teachers during their MJF Kids programme.

 MJFCF team too joins the Kids is thanking Nelun for her invaluable services rendered to the MJF Kids.

Compiled by Sumithra – 12/4/10

Differently  abled are often neglected and not considered as part of the community; people forget to realize that they are differently abled, but this is not the same when it comes to the MJF charitable Foundation, they are considered and referred to as differently abled.

The diffrently abled  stands first at the MJF Charitable Foundation and the foundation currently is involved in many activities for them in the country.  The following are few.  

A School (Sithjaya the Merrill J Fernando Center for the differently able) for the disable in Ambalantota in the Hambantota District (Deep South of Sri Lanka) with facilities for nearly 100 disable children where they obtain educational and vocational training.

 The MJF Charitable Foundation has adopted the School for the Deaf and Blind in Monaragala (Eastern part of Sri Lanka) which is the poorest districts in Sri Lanka.  The foundation has built a sales center that sells the products of the hands of the talented at the School that generates revenue to the School.

The Foundation assisted two individuals at the Deaf & Blind School – Monaragala with their livelihood on the 05^th of April 2010. 

Jayaratne (Completely Blind)

Jayaratne sells grams, toffees and little items in the bus.  Jayaratne is married to Mrs. Ramya a teacher who is also absolutely blind. 

Jayaratne made a request through the Principal of the Deaf & Blind School to help him with some assistance to improve his sales and since he is blind and that he is a father of a perfect Daughter (although the parents are disabled) he feels that its his responsibility to earn and save some money for her future that it will help her even if they are not there while she grow up.

MJFCF bought items enabling Jayaratne to continue with his livelihood that he is convenient and able to handle better than before. We hope this will allow him to make more money and save some for his daughter and also his wife for their future.

 Pushpakumara  

Pushpakumara is unable to hear or speak.  Brought-up by the Principal from the childhood, he is trained at the School in Carpentry, Masonry, Sewing, Cooking, Gardening and taking care of the Children etc..

Pushpakumara is the Big Brother for the rest of the students in the School.  The Principal and the staff of the School has helped Pushpakumara to purchase a house close to School with the savings of Rs.200,000/- that Pushpakumara had saved and by getting a loan from the bank of Rs.250,000/-.  The team is looking for a suitable girl for Pushpakumara to get married.

With all the above arrangements and changes taking place in Pushpakumara’s life, considering his hard work and honesty that the MJF team recognized in him it was decided to help Pushpakumara with livelihood support by providing him with tools that will help him start working outside the school undertaking contracts.  The foundation has provided a complete set of tools that Pushpakumara needs to carryout his work in the masonry field.  

Work for the differently abled will continue

MJFCF commenced construction work on its new project to build and donate a Eye Surgical Unit for the Dickoya Government Hospital in Norwood. The construction is expected to be completed by November this year. This is the 2^nd major project of MJFCF to support the National Health care services. In 2009 the Foundation donated Mammography machine and an Ultra Sound Scanner to the National Cancer Institute in Colombo to support the institute with the national screening programme for breast cancer for women over 40 years.

The new Eye Surgical Unit in Dickoya will exclusively serve the plantation communities in the hill country.

It was 25 years ago that the Leprosy Hospital in Wattala had a new patient admitted to the Hospital and at the same time there are patients who were brought in 25 or many years ago while they were in their childhood. 

However, other than a few most of these ladies spend their time doing nothing… Recently when the MJF Charitable Foundation Staff visited the hospital had a discussion with these Ladies to see how they could spend their time useful, they discovered that all of them other than one lady whose legs are amputated can learn to sew and start sewing Pillow Cases, Curtains to the windows that never have been curtained, their house coats, etc….

The MJF Charitable Foundation donated a sewing machine with motor fixed to it so that there’s no peddling. you will see in the pictures given below the smiles of hope.

The MJF Charitable Foundation’s next task is to get mobility for two ladies who are unable to walk.

With the very positive results achieved with the MJF Kids at Peliyagoda and Maligawatte, MJFCF will extend support to a similar initiative in Pallansena in Negombo,  the birth place the Settlor Merrill J Fernando.

Reggie the MJF KIds Co-ordinator met with the Kids at Pallansena recently to assess the current status and MJFCF will commence the new programme before end February. About 50 Kids from this fishing village in Pallansena will be initially absorbed to the programme, which will have IT, English and Maths classes and gradually be developed to the same levels of the MJF Kids programme presently being implemented in Peliyagaoda and Maligawatte.

The need for teaching underprivileged children English in the city of Colombo has been a very real need for many years. Although tution classes exist, the fees charged is too much for the poor to afford. The Young Women’s Christian Association saw this need and addressed it through the MJF Charitable Foundation’s funding and support.

Currently the program has 55 children learning the English language.

The kids were awarded certificates and gifts based on their perfomance at the term end celebrations held last December (2009).

CHANGING LIVES has been the MJF Charitable Foundation’s main concerns and we have been working towards reaching to the exact persons with the right solutions to give them a better living. Given below are few stories of people whose lives have really changed for them to be better citizens of this country.

If you start JUDGING PEOPLE you will be having no time to LOVE THEM -Mother Therera

Just because they took a wrong turn in their lives that doesnt make them bad people. The Small Entrepreneurship Programme that is conducted at the Prisons for the inmates leaving the prisons on Parole has been yet another successful project of ours.
They are no more identified as Criminals or convicts but excellent Tailors, Carpenters, Mechanics, Masons, Fishermen and valuable people to their community.

Neome of MJFCF updates her reports for Dilhan at Pahalalanda – a remote village off Ampara, 400 Km away from Colombo. She was visiting one of the SEP receipients from the Prisons SEP programme, Samantha a Tailor at Pahalalanda.

The students at Sithijaya the Merrill J Fernando Center for the otehrwise able situated in Ampalantota in the Hambantota District is trained in Sewing, Gardening, making products out of Palm Leaves, making ruggs using rejected cut peices, etc….

This center was built and is handed over to the community to cater nearly 600 disabled in the community.  Run by the District Secretariet the center is under the direct supervision of the District Secretary Mrs. Jayasekara and the Social Services Officer Mr. Bandara.   with 12 volunteer teachers the center is now assisting 35 Children with the intention to expand and to have nearly 100 students by 2010. 

Works of the hands of these kids are extra ordinary. 

We all have a disability of some kind; all are lacking in one way or another. Saul has an injury to his leg. What if his personality was deformed? How much worse if his soul was lame? Preachers or teachers look for the good in all of us. (Bless them for doing so.) I don’t see a cripple. I haven’t met anyone yet who isn’t handicapped in some way. So what’s the big deal? Don’t hide your deformity. Wear it like a Purple Heart said well by Georgiann Baldino.