Abayam-Foundation for Health and Education
is an independent, not-for-profit, non-political charitable organisation.
Santander bank (UK)
Account name: Abayam – Foundation for Health and Education
Sort code 09-01-29
Acccount number 39953494
BIC: ABBYGB2LXXX
IBAN: GB65ABBY09012939953494
We are a motivated group of non-medical and medical professionals and charity-minded individuals from Sri Lanka currently living in the UK, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand. We formed the organisation, Abayam-Foundation for Health and Education, for the purpose of helping our hospitals, our schools and our people back home. Abayam (அபயம்) in the Tamil language means sanctuary, last resort or fearless.
Our work in Sri Lanka concentrates on:
Health – we want to support the infrastructure, equipment needs and staff training/ education of hospitals and other medical establishments in Sri Lanka, particularly those which are small, remote and under-resourced.
Education – we want to support the equipment needs and staff training/ education of the schools in Sri Lanka, particularly those which are small, remote and under-resourced.
Our strength lies in the fact that we know Sri Lanka well and have a network of trusted contacts there working in state healthcare and education, as well as from the general population. Moreover, we are able to match projects with willing donors from the UK Sri Lankan expatriate community. We visit several times each year, to listen to our local colleagues, perform needs assessments, effect change in collaboration with them and then evaluate and follow-up on these changes. As you can see from our web-site, although Abayam-Foundation for Health and Education is a new organisation, we have already started several projects, raised funds and provided needed equipment and training. However, we cannot continue and expand our work without your support: if you can travel to Sri Lanka to provide training or can support and help us with your time and expertise in the UK or elsewhere, please use the Contact Us section of this website to get in touch. We also need funds, and are grateful for all donations – please donate, with your name as reference, by direct electronic bank transfer to our U.K. charity bank account (details at the top of this page). If you are able to make a regular donation, please complete our Standing Order and Giftaid forms (attached below).
You can also donate to Abayam when you make selected purchases on Amazon, by registering Abayam as your preferred charity on Amazon Smile – see the simple PDF guide below.
List of Abayam projects to April 2023
Save the date – Abayam fundraising event 5th October 2024!
Abayam’s 2024 fundraising event will take place on Saturday 5th October 2024 in the London area. This is your chance to see how we are spending your generous donations and enjoy a fabulous live musical concert. More details to follow …..
Abayam Youth Forum
Are you a sincere and dynamic young adult (those about to start higher education to recent graduates) who wants to make a real, hands-on difference to the people of Sri Lanka? Then read on …
Abayam- Foundation for Health and Education has formed a Youth Forum. Its Aims and Objectives are to work within Abayam to support Health and Education in Sri Lanka, by volunteering to teach and train in schools, medical schools and nursing schools, and also be part of fund-raising initiatives in the UK and other countries. If you are interested in joining us and supporting our Aims and Objectives please get in touch using the Contact us page of this website.
Abayam Youth – lockdown fundraising success!
Abayam Youth has managed to organise, conduct and complete a tremendous fundraising effort, despite lockdown, from 20-26th July 2020. Their target was to walk, run or cycle 435 km, the distance between Point Pedro and Thirukkovil (the northern and eastern most points of Abayam’s work in Sri Lanka), to raise £750 to photocopy practise examination papers for A-Level students in the Eastern Province who could not afford home computers. Abayam Youth managed to exceed not only the distance, by covering 463 km, but also the target funds raised, to a fantastic sum of £2827. Look at the inspiring photographs of the next generation of Abayam below!
Abayam Youth has sustained their innovative remote fundraising efforts through the prolonged COVID pandemic, with a 2020 Christmas quiz and raffle, and a 2021 Easter bake-off and raffle.
Abayam’s COVID-19 relief work in Sri Lanka
Eastern Province
Abayam has supported some of the poorest families in the Eastern Province through the COVID-19 crisis by providing basic dry food supplies:
Northern Province
Abayam has funded and organised a series of dry food donations for families living below the poverty line in the Northern Province, including one at Kaithady in the Jaffna peninsula and one at Kalmadu Village, on the Killinochchi- Mullaitivu border.
During Sri Lanka’s second wave of COVID in 2021, Abayam has despatched boxes of Personal Protective Equipment for remote hospitals in the Eastern Province:
Abayam visit to projects in N&E Sri Lanka January, May and September 2022
Abayam managed to visits its projects in North & East Sri Lanka in January, May and September 2022. Look out for updates on our website pages. The report is attached below.
Abayam mental health telephone helpline
Abayam launched a mental health helpline in the Northern Province in December 2020, in response to the high suicide rate in the region. The line is manned 24/7 by doctors.
Abayam Medical Clinic and Education Centres – Annaicodai, Iyakachchi and Myliddy, and new clinic Uduthurai
Following on from the Annaicodai Clinic, opened in November 2019, Abayam has managed to open two more clinics despite the pandemic, both in needy areas of the Northern Province, one on Iyakachchi, another in Myliddy. Furthermore, by the end of 2021 a clinic was opened in Uduthurai, to serve the rural population around the Iyakachchi area.
Abayam Medical Clinic and Education Centre, Annaicodai
Abayam Medical Clinic and Education Centre, Iyakachchi
New mobile clinic, Uduthurai, Iyakachchi
Abayam Medical Clinic and Education Centre, Myliddy
Dr A. Ragupathy Memorial Emergency Unit at Tellipalai Hospital opened on 19th April 2019
Inauguration of new CT scanner at Teaching Hospital Jaffna 12th October 2019
A much needed new CT scanner for Teaching Hospital Jaffna was inaugurated on 12th October 2019. The major funder was Mr Ranjan, UK, Abayam committee member, and a contribution was also made by Abayam and its well-wishers. The project was co-ordinated by Mr Ranjan and Abayam.
Meeting with Jaffna Teaching Hospital Director Dr T Sathiyamoorthy on 01/03/2019 in London
Abayam members and well-wishers met Dr Thangamuthu Sathiyamoorthy, Director, Jaffna Teaching hospital on 1st March 2019 to coordinate our projects in Sri Lanka.