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

Diri Daru Piyasa – A Centre for Down Syndrome Children was declared open by the Founder Settlor Mr. Merrill J Fernando on 7^th May, at the MJF Centre at Moratuwa – A Centre for dignity with empowerment for the under privileged,   along with all the trustees of the Foundation including Mr. Selvam Mather, Mr. Rajan Asirwatham and Mr. K Ravindran and handed over the Centre to the Chairperson of Diri Daru Piyasa Ms. Miranda Hemalatha. This centre will provide learning in English, Music, Dance, IT, Sewing, Cookery etc., for nearly 50 Down Syndrome children so as to empower these children to be on their own and be a active member of the family in particular  and society in general by utilizing their differently able skills, ability and enthusiasm.  Earlier in the day the children who will make use of this facility accorded a warm welcome to Mr. Merrill J Fernando and all the invitees and they too sang happy birthday to him whist cutting the birthday cake.

The Foundation launched several new projects to coincide with the 80^th birthday of its Founder and Settlor Mr. Merrill J Fernando which fell on 6^th May 2010. The Foundation team together with all its stakeholders and the MJF Kids wishes Mr. Merrill J Fernando many more years of good health and happiness and the strength to bring about a change in the lives of many more less fortunate, under privileged and the differently able.

1. The MJF Challenge Trophy Cricket match for the blind was played at the NCC Grounds in Colombo on 6^th May between the School for the Deaf & Blind Monaragala and the Rajarata Jayaviru Deaf & Blind Sport Club Anuradhapura. The Monaragala team won the match handsomely by over 200 runs and carried away the trophy for the 3^rd consecutive year in a row. The lads from Monaragala scored 320 runs in 25 overs with an outstanding knock of 124 from the skipper Chaminda Deshapriya. He also won the best player of the match for B3 category.  Incidentally Deshapriya also became the 1^st student from the School for the Deaf & Blind Monaragala to gain admission to a University and is reading for his Arts degree at the Ruhuna University. The Foundation which is closely associated with the development of the School for the Deaf & Blind Monaragala for the past 5 years awarded a scholarship to Deshapriya to continue his University studies for the next 3 years. All awards and the scholarships were presented by the Settlor Merrill J Fernando along with the other Trustees of the Foundation – Himedra, Minnet, Malik and Dilhan. The children from the School for the Deaf & Blind sang Happy Birthday Chairman just prior to the presentation of awards.

MJF Charitable Foundation with the support of a true friend of Dilmah the Gourmet Foods – Poland helps nearly 200 children a year in the Siyambalanduwa region with their education and have seen a growth of 50% in Students attending School, Concentrating in Studies, Achieving better results.

The community have named the center Dhiriya (which means Strength) has enabled nearly 200 students within the first year of its involvement in the area to successfully complete and get through in the areas they are trained.

Classes are conducted for Mathamatics, Science, English, Computer (one year Diploma course for the School Leavers seeking Jobs and 6 months certificate course for the Students attached to Dhiriya and have sat for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination and waiting for their results), Sewing to the young adults and to the Mothers in the community Free of Charge. 

The Pictures below were taken during the convocation of the 1st year of Dhiriya the MJF Center for Education and Vocational Training.

Students who have completed Diploma in Computer Studies 2009

Students who have completed one year Diploma in Scientific Cutting and Dress Making – 2009

Students who have completed their 6 months Certificate in Computer Studies – 2009

Students who attended Classes and revision Classes for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination in 2009

The MJF Charitable Foundation will continue assiting the Dhiriya Center with an advanced method of teaching from June 2010.

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.

MJF Foundation embarked on its most ambitious and land mark project at Moratuwa, a seaside town close to the capital city of Colombo in April 2009. The project at Moratuwa will fulfill the wishes and aspirations of the Founder of Dilmah and the MJF Foundation Merrill J Fernando to share his success with those less priviledged and thus making his business a matter of human service.

 The 1^st phase of the project was inaugurated by Merrill J Fernando on 28^th November 2009 with the handing over of the keys of the Diri Piyasa Centre to its Chairperson Kshanika Weeratunga. This centre will offer support and assistance and limited residential care for women and their families who are affected by violence by providing them with free legal, medical, counseling and law enforcement services. It will also provide rehabilitation and some income generating avenues for such victims and also play a role in creating awareness to the community in general on violence against women and its impact on the person, the family and community.

 The 2^nd phase of the Centre commenced in January 2010, which will provide facilities for Diri Daru Piyasa – a centre exclusively for children with Down syndrome and the MJF Centre for therapy and vocational training for differently abled youth. Work on the 2^nd phase in progressing on schedule and is expected to be completed by Mid May 2010. The MJF Foundation team meets every week at the site to review the progress of work. Once completed these 2 Centres will support nearly 100 disabled children/youth.

     In the meantime the preliminary plan and deigns on the 3^rd  and 4^th phase which will inched the MJF Kids center for Moratuwa, a replication of the highly successful MJF Kids programme in Peliyagoda, A community reception facility and a Family Peace and counseling Centre are being finalized and are expected to be commenced after May this year.

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.

When the MJF Team visited the Holyrood Primary School site on the 15th March, the construction was at roof level. The school is getting into shape as expected and will be completed on schedule by end April. The images below shows the class rooms and hall that will be availbale to the Kids once the construction is completed.

Reggie the MJF Kids Co-ordinator had a  meeting with the parents of the MJF Kids recently at the Kids home at the Peliyagoda MJF complex. Progress of the Kids, regular absentees, non attending to home works and assignemnets  were discussed with the parents. The need for the parents to more closely follow the progress of their childen both at school and the programme were re emphasized by Reggie. About 29 parents whose kids were lagging back with their work were invited for the meeting and the attendance of parents was good.

The participation of the parents  and their reciprocation towards their Kids programme at MJF has seen a significant improvment since of late which augurs well for the future of the programme.