Discover more about the work we do in Sri Lanka and the impact on the community.
The IFS Foundation celebrated the opening of a renovated neonatal care facility in the village of Madampe, providing vital healthcare services for mothers and young babies.
The IFS Foundation celebrated the opening of new primary school buildings in the village of Weralugahamula. These new classrooms will double capacity and provide dedicated learning space for each year group.
Representatives from IFS, The IFS Foundation and brand ambassador Platned attended the ground breaking ceremony for a new computer lab in the village of Weralugahamula. This project is being funded by the Hg Foundation.
The IFS Foundation, with the support of brand ambassador Platned, undertook the Pekoe Trail challenge, a 327KM run through Sri Lanka to raise money for the Foundation.
The IFS Foundation is delighted to announce a multi-year partnership with IGT 1 Outsourcing Lanka (Private) Limited (‘IGT 1 Lanka’), a Port City offshore company in Columbo. The partnership will help accelerate its mission to break the poverty cycle in remote, rural communities throughout Sri Lanka. IGT 1 Lanka’s generous support will help the IFS Foundation remove the many obstacles that prevent children in remote communities from securing a decent education, including access to fresh water, sanitation, healthcare and education infrastructure.
IFS donated musical instruments to school in Weralugahamula, giving students access to a wide range of resources, promoting creativity.
Poka, a Canadian enterprise software company, has entered into a partnership with the IFS Foundation to help accelerate its mission to break the poverty cycle in remote, rural communities throughout Sri Lanka. Poka’s generous support will help the IFS Foundation remove the many obstacles that prevent children in remote communities from securing a decent education, including access to fresh water, sanitation, healthcare and education infrastructure.
Representatives from IFS, the IFS Foundation and the local community attended a groundbreaking ceremony at the start of construction on a new primary school building in the village of Weralugahamula.
The IFS Foundation renovated the Madampe medical centre dental facility, adding a new vaccination room and neonatal care facility. Volunteers from IFS and Foundation partner Platned were on site to finish the work and handover the new asset.
The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity focused on improving tech education and skills, is partnering with the IFS Foundation to promote STEM skills in remote and rural communities in Sri Lanka. The Hg Foundation's grant will support the construction of a computer lab and staff training to deliver IT and STEM classes in the village of Weralugahamula. Click here for more details.
The IFS Foundation is proud to launch a dedicated photo album, including images of IFS employees at work and at home. The album, along with the IFS Foundation calendar, cookbook and music album, is available to download free of charge. However we ask that, in return, you consider donating to support the work of the IFS Foundation.
The IFS Foundation is thrilled to announce a significant new partnership with Platned, marking a transformative milestone in its mission to support and uplift communities in need. This long-term commitment enables us to plan and invest with confidence. As part of this commitment, the IFS Foundation formally recognises Platned as Brand Ambassador.
IFS Foundation partner Astra Canyon visited the school in Weralugahamula. Together with students and staff, they planted a fruit and veg patch that will serve as an education asset and a source of nutrition to supplement student meals.
The IFS Foundation donated sewing machines to women in the village of Weralugahamula. In transferring these productive assets, we help women generate a regular income, stabilising families and creating the conditions for their children to get a decent education. We also took the opportunity to provide advice on table banking, building a collective, and the basics of running a home-based business. Singer Sri Lanka PLC, an IFS customer, provided the sewing machines at discounted rates.
Using local contractors, the IFS Foundation funded the construction of a new waste storage facility in Weralugahamula designed to handle various types of hospital waste. The unit contains necessary equipment and capacity for waste management, including secure storage containers and proper ventilation systems.
The IFS Foundation distributed laptops, generously donated by IFS, to Weralugamaula school, helping to promote STEM skills in remote, rural communities. Additionally, a laptop was donated to the Madampe Divisional Hospital to improve healthcare administration.
The IFS Foundation is funding the construction of 25 sanitation facilities for homes in the community of Weralugahamula. These facilities promote good hygiene and help prevent the risk of communicable disease.
The IFS Foundation inaugurated a dedicated reverse osmosis water treatment plant for Weralugahamula school. Access to fresh water facilitates hygiene and mitigates the risk of communicable diseases. This asset was funded by IFS Foundation partner Hoist. Volunteers from Hoist and IFS also spent time to repaint school buildings during their visit, to instill pride, and stimulate creativity and learning.
The IFS Foundation attended the opening ceremony for six new classrooms at the Welasiya Government School. These classrooms, funded by the Foundation, provide students with the opportunity to continue their education up to age 18 and expand school capacity to over 700 students. The opening ceremony was a day of great celebration, with traditional dances and inspiring speeches. Trustees from the IFS Foundation, IFS senior leaders and representatives were present to mark the occasion.
A team of 13 IFS employees got together to paint the desks and chairs that were donated to the Weralugahamula school by the IFS Foundation. Local community members and the school teaching staff also participated in the effort. This forms part of a broader commitment to investing in public health and education.
12 IFS volunteers spent the day cleaning up a polluted area in Weralugahamula. The IFS Foundation led the effort, joined by 2 knowledge partners from Plasticcyle, who conducted an engaging awareness session on plastic pollution and volunteer briefing on waste segregation at the Madampe Divisional Hospital before heading out to clean. Together with 16 volunteers from the local community, the team collected many bags of waste, including recyclable and non-recyclable plastics, glass, and cans, handing over the collected waste to local officials for responsible disposal.
The IFS Foundation inaugurated a new water treatment plant at the Madampe Divisional Hospital, ensuring that hospital staff and patients have access to fresh, clean drinking water.
IFS employees painted the new classrooms donated by the IFS Foundation
With the support of the IFS Foundation, 83 IFS employees used their annual volunteer day to help refurbish Welasiya Government School in Welusumanapura. Over the course of two days, volunteers worked alongside representatives from Foundation partner organisations and parents of school children to buildings, desks, and chairs.
IFS staff volunteer to participate in English lessons for school students on a monthly basis, sharing knowledge and building trust.
In March, representatives from IFS, an IFS Foundation Partner, visited Welusumanapura. During this visit, a ceremony was held to set the foundation stone for the new classroom buildings under construction. An additional 4 coconut husk machines were donated to the local community. 3 specialised sewing machines were also donated to a clothing collective formed by 12 local women.
Our education projects align to UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and our home industry projects align to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
In March, construction on a second Reverse Osmosis Water Plant was completed. This was funded by IFS Foundation partner, Hoist. Representatives of Hoist attended the site to help complete the painting of the building and to officially hand it to the community.
This project is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6.
IFS partner Hoist signs up to become our inaugural partner, with a multi-year commitment boosting confidence to invest in longer term projects at scale.
In November, IFS volunteers repainted the maternity ward and kitchen of the hospital in Welusumanapura. This took place over 2 days and had support from over 27 individuals, including partners of the IFS Foundation.
This project aligns to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and is part of the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to improving the medical facilities for the local community.
In November and December, volunteers from IFS supported the facilitation of English Lessons. These lessons were requested by the school to support students from grades 9-11 in practising their spoken English. Three lessons were run between November and December. These lessons received positive feedback from both students and teachers, and as a result these lessons will continue into 2023.
Education is one of the five core focus areas for the IFS Foundation. We believe that providing quality education to all is fundamental to the long-term relief of poverty in rural Sri Lanka. It also aligns to UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).
In August, in response to the economic crisis and in partnership with medical officers and community leaders, the Foundation sourced medical supplies and helped to ensure delivery to people in need.
This project aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), supporting the IFS Foundation’s goal of improving wellbeing within rural Sri Lanka.
In May 2022, a number of IFS Foundation trustees visited Welusumanapura to formally open the computer lab within Welasiya Government School. Built in partnership with IFS, the computer lab provides the local students with the access to education and opportunity to develop IT skills to support them throughout their futures.
This project is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), supporting the IFS Foundation’s goal of increasing access to educational opportunity.
In February 2022, the IFS Foundation completed the construction of a public sanitary facility. Located by the local medical centre, this facility will provide a safe, accessible facility for the community. Designed to provide disabled access, this is an important addition to the village. Built in partnership with IFS, this brings the total number of sanitary facilities supplied by the Foundation, within Welusumanapura, to 26. The majority of these were provided for homes without sanitary facilities - providing essential facilities for local families.
These projects are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (sanitation) – one of the five key focus areas for the IFS Foundation.
In December, the community of Welusumanapura was impacted by heavy rains causing local flooding. IFS, in partnership with the IFS Foundation, facilitated the donation of care packs to affected families.
The care packs contained food and other essentials to support the community during this time. 130 packages were donated to the village of Welusumanapura.
The IFS Foundation, in partnership with IFS, donated coconut husk chipping machines to four families in Welusumanapura. The donation of the coconut husk chipping machines has allowed the families to generate income and support themselves, overcoming challenges to their ability to work.
Providing opportunities for home industry is important. It provides a valuable source of income for families, creating economic independence and helping to boost the broader local economy. It also ensures children can stay in school longer, receiving a better education and improving their long-term prospects.
Of the five key focus areas for the IFS Foundation, this project contributes to providing employment opportunities. This is aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8.
In partnership with IFS, the IFS Foundation has completed the installation of a reverse osmosis (RO) water plant. This new plant can serve water requirements all day and will provide up to 6000 litres of drinking water daily to the community.
Access to fresh drinking water can help eliminate many preventable diseases. A healthy community is a viable community. This project is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6.
These projects included:
• Renovating the maternity ward within Welusumanapura
• Providing desks and chairs for the school
• Creating a community garden to provide educational opportunity and produce
• Installing tube-wells throughout the village
• Donating masks, thermometers and medical torches to local medical facilities
• Donating 12 sewing machines to local families
Going forward, the IFS Foundation will take ownership of the relationship with Welusumanapura and future projects.