What we do
Yala Fund was born on the back of the 2004 Tsunami which killed 35,000 people in Sri Lanka but soon moved away from its Tsunami origins to become a wide-ranging charity helping poor schools, children and medical causes.We work in the remote districts around Yala National Park and the town of Tissamaharama, about 7 hours’ drive from Colombo. Many local people work as day-labourers earning a pittance and live in rudimentary homes with leaking coconut thatch roofs and no electricity or running water. Schools have suffered years of neglect and face problems of crumbling classrooms and broken toilets, no equipment and, in many areas, are subject to elephant attacks.
We carry out refurbishments to schools, build toilets and classrooms and create playgrounds. We buy shoes and bicycles and help poor but gifted children attend private classes in Maths, Science and English. We are sponsoring a number of students through Medical School. University tuition is free but students need help with lodging, meals, textbooks and bus fares.
Yala Fund’s other activities include supporting local hospitals and health clinics, cancer wards and orphanages, Elders’ Homes and daycare centres for children with learning disabilities.
Our longer-term vision is to uplift standards of health and education in the Yala districts and provide a better future for Sri Lanka’s children.
Yala is a small, personal charity and we keep donors informed via email, letters and photographs.
Bev Thompson has been keeping diaries of her visits to the region. To see a list of the diaries uploaded so far, please visit Bev's Diary page .