The Godwin Memorial Fund presently supports 14 poor families and 16 elderly and sick people living around the Kandy area of Sri Lanka.
The Fund was originally set up in 2000 to carry on the charitable work of our meditation teacher, Godwin Samararatne, at the Nilambe Meditation Centre near Kandy, after he had passed away.
We strive to work in the same open, generous and compassionate manner which he always displayed to those in any sort of need.
Most of the households we support are headed by women, widowed, separated or single, caring for their young or elderly dependants single-handed and therefore unable to earn a sufficient income for their needs. Both amongst the families and the elderly are very many persons who are sick or disabled and need extra monies for medicines, medical tests and operations.
We assist these households by giving small monthly payments to top up whatever other income they may have. When they collect these monies, over the course of months we build up an on-going, supportive relationship with those we help.
We respond to any new problems or changes of circumstances whereby they may need extra monthly monies or a one-off payment to cover a special need.
At present we are giving out up to Rs. 35,000 per month i.e. approximately 175 Pounds Sterling; 200 Euros; 300 US dollars.