2022 Case Studies

Scroll down for a summary of 2022 grants issued and projects undertaken by The MAHA Foundation 

2022 MAHA Foundation Grant Recipients
The MAHA Foundation Grant 

Community Development

Sivakamy Mahalingham Grant

Education

Saroj Patel Grant

Healthcare

The MAHA Foundation Grant for 2022/2023 of USD$11.3k was awarded to the Tea Leaf Trust to cover the 2023 running costs of a new teaching school in Bogawantalawa, Nuwara Eliya (this is the fourth school to be established and operated by this high-quality charity that lifts young adults out of poverty through education). 

The Bogawantalawa school (opening January 2023) will benefit 50+ full time students (aged 18-26) from poor families to help build English speaking skills alongside increased confidence, improved mental health, and ongoing employability. 

The Sivakamy Mahalingham Grant for 2022/2023 of USD$11.7k was awarded to the Rainbow Centre School to cover the 2023 running costs of a new Saturday School established in 2022.  

The school helps 150+ children, many of whom suffer from abuse, neglect, homelessness, hunger, and poor health. The addition of the Saturday School provides another day of much needed care and attention to the children plus increased educational opportunities. 

The Saroj Patel Grant for 2022/2023 will be awarded to fund project expenses for the SPECS (Saroj-Patel-Eye-Clinic-Service) Camp to be held in Bentota in October 2023. 

The MAHA Foundation Chair Nita Mahalingham (Optometrist) will work with volunteers (friends and family) to screen children who do not have access to basic healthcare and provide prescription glasses to all screened children who require this.

Click here for more Information on the SPECS Initiative

November 2022 - Music Recital


The MAHA Foundation hosted a musical recital in Dubai to collect stationery items for delivery to children in schools in Sri Lanka.

Luther King Mahalingham (Piano + Saxophone) was joined by Amelia Chalmers (Vocals + Flute).

October 2022 - Feeding Children in Goa


The MAHA Foundation donated a small grant of USD$550 to the Goa branch of the El Shaddai Charity. This amount was to feed hot meals to 500 impoverished children.

Since the global Covid crisis, El Shaddai have been serving hot meals to children living in slums in India. Each meal is a nutritional platter with healthy staples including rice, lentils, eggs and vegetables. Hygiene kits are also distributed.
Before

October 2022 

The MAHA Foundation provided a small grant of USD$500 to build an enclosed bathroom for a family living in poverty in Bentota. This enabled the children at the location to benefit from a more sanitary living arrangement. The family was visited by The MAHA Foundation as part of the September 2022 food delivery initiative and a local construction team was engaged to undertake the work.
Nearing completion

September 2022
Household Essentials For Families

The MAHA Foundation visited struggling families with young children in Sri Lanka to bring each household essential food and pharmaceutical supplies. This USD$1k project provided daily necessities for circa 60 households (200+ persons). The MAHA Foundation is grateful to family and friends who have made donations to this project and also grateful to Bentota Travel Mart for their assistance with local procurement of food items and transportation on the ground.

It is envisaged that this will become an ongoing quarterly project in Bentota: The MAHA Foundation Food Bank.

August 2022 Empowering young leaders to aid impoverished communities

The MAHA Foundation donated a small grant of USD$750 to the Tea Leaf Trust who support young adults living in the struggling communities of Sri Lankan Tea Leaf Estates. 

This grant was towards an annual project run by the Tea Leaf Vision Centers whereby their students who are undertaking language and leadership courses are tasked with designing projects in support of poor local families. Each group was given SLR20k and this grant funded a dozen groups benefitting hundreds of children in the local community through projects to supply them with essential light bulbs, clothes, educational materials, and food. 

The projects form part of the annual Tea Leaf Vision educational curriculum and, in addition to supporting impoverished members of the community, are an essential aspect of the leadership development of the young students who undertake the philanthropic effort themselves. These students have themselves come from impoverished backgrounds in the Tea Leaf Estates of Sri Lanka.

August 2022 - Volunteering in Peru

Junior Council Member Luther King Mahalingham supported special needs children on a three-week project in the Andean city of Cusco. This initiative was part of the IVHQ programme and funded by a USD$2.5k MAHA Foundation Grant.

April 2022 - Rainbow Centre

Representatives from The MAHA Foundation spent time with the children of the Rainbow Centre and provided USD$1k of food, educational materials, medical supplies, and a 10kg rice cooker. This is a charity school in support of local children in need in Sri Lanka. The country is beset with economic hardship in the current climate and the pictures display what an important job the school is doing to improve the lives of children who have suffered neglect, abandon and abuse. 

ABOUT US - Rainbow Centre Sri Lanka
Transportation of charitable supplies in Sri Lanka is arranged/donated by the generous team at Bentota Travel Mart: 

https://www.bentotatravelmart.com/

© THE MAHA FOUNDATION 2022
One project at a time...
The MAHA Foundation is a privately funded, not-for-profit organization and as such does not solicit donations from the public; however, we are thankful to those family and friends who have pledged contributions to The Foundation and donated their time and expertise to support projects.