The Nishantha Fund

Asanka Pathiraja

On Easter Sunday, 2019, 258 innocent lives were forever taken from us as a result of the ruthless terrorist attacks carried out on the churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. My beloved cousin, Ms. Nisanga Mayadunne, and Aunt, Shantha Mayadunne, were among them.

To honor their memories, I have formed the Nishantha Fund in collaboration with Educate Lanka Foundation.

Through its partnership with Educate Lanka - a 501-c-3 non-profit, the Nishantha Fund aims to support vital educational initiatives throughout Sri Lanka. Our aim is to counter the violent hate that led to the loss of so many innocent lives, with hope and love.

We believe education is the best weapon to counter the extremism, hate, and violence that led to the tragic events. Through our initiatives, we envision a Sri Lanka where Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim children will all learn and prosper together in a peaceful, empathic, and tolerant society that embraces and promotes diversity and inclusion.

Related News of the Attacks:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/world/asia/sri-lanka-bombings-victims.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/world/asia/sri-lanka-easter-bombing-attacks.html

Updates

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07/29/2019

I have formed the Nishantha Fund in collaboration with Educate Lanka Foundation.

07/29/2019

About Nishantha Fund

In the aftermath of the tragic Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, we joined hands with one of our long-term advocates - Asanka Pathiraja - to initiate the Nishantha Fund to honor his beloved aunt - Mrs. Shantha Mayadunne - and cousin - Ms. Nisanga Mayadunne who lost their lives on that fateful day. Through the Fund, we will support critical education funding needs of the marginalized from every community as well as vital educational interventions to counter the violence, intolerance, and extremism that continue to polarize the communities and divide the nation. Through our efforts, we aim to help shape an inclusive, equitable, and peaceful next generation of Sri Lanka that embraces diversity, tolerance, and respect across its multicultural societies. Please continue to follow updates on this page for the progress of these efforts.

About Educate Lanka

With the realization that while talent is universal, opportunity is not, Educate Lanka was founded in 2007 with the mission of unearthing the talent and potential of every student by democratizing education and learning opportunities for all. Incorporated both in the United States as a 501-c-3 non-profit and in Sri Lanka as a social service corporation, we empower children and youth from socioeconomically marginalized backgrounds by enhancing their access to quality education, lifelong learning, and employment opportunities through a holistic model that merges technological innovations with global and local partnerships.
By providing personalized, long-term pathways of learning opportunities to marginalized children and youth, we envision a more inclusive, skilled, and equitable workforce and society shaped by empathic and civic-minded citizenry who would lead Sri Lanka to its prosperity and potential. For further information about our efforts, please visit www.educatelanka.org or contact us at info@educatelanka.org.

100%

IMPACT

We maximize the impact of our
student sponsorships and program
donations by transferring 100% of the
prcoeeds to our students and direct
program costs. We raise our
administrative costs separately.

TRANSPARENCY

By making end-to-end communication
and reporting the heart of our efforts,
we assure complete transparency
to everyone.

LOCAL PARTICIPATION

Our own networks of local liaisons
and alumni allow us to secure critical
input and contribution from
local communities.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Our unique approach that merges a
global resource-platform with our
own local-level networks empowers
us to be accountable for both
our operations and impact.

These four guiding principles command our approach to the issue and define our commitment to the mission.