Establishment of the foundation
Georgia Vihara Welfare Foundation (GVWF) was established in 2003 by the Georgia Buddhist Vihara, Inc. a non-profit corporation, based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Our goal is to provide monetary and other necessary items for low income students in Sri Lanka with special emphasis on the students from rural Sri Lanka.
Why they need help?
Most are not aware of the plight of the people in rural Sri Lanka. This project will promote awareness of the difficulties rural Sri Lankans face, and will help to show how you can be a part to raise their standard of living. We invite you to join us in this compassionate and thoughtful act by sponsoring one or several students. You can visit the students you sponsor, and see the hardships they have to undergo in their day to day life. For the sponsors with kids who are especially from USA and other Western countries it will be an enlightening experience. When you visit some areas you will notice students walking several miles to school without any shoes, some of them wear only one pair of clothes for several months. Some of them stop going school because of the embarrassment, some of them study but can not get enough food, and some of them stop going school in early age and go to work to help their family. You can change their life. If every individual changed someone’s life imagine how many students will be benefited.
Who is eligible to receive scholarships?
Students should maintain a good grade at the school, the school principle and the class teacher should encourage them to study hard, and if the student looses their interest in education we will transfer scholarship to another eligible candidate, with the permission of the sponsor. From time to time our field officers will visit them and their schools to find out about their necessities.
Who can help?
Anyone can help with this project, regardless of religion or ethnic background. You can participate not only by giving a monthly monetary donation, but you may provide assistance in some other way by providing for the needs of a school or students, or an entire village,;(i.e., pens, pencils, books, clothes, computers, and etc.). Volunteers are needed to work in Sri Lanka to promote the program in all the provinces. (Presently my Dhamma brother monks and friends are helping us) We welcome anyone’s ideas and opinions to promote this project to serve the rural Sri Lankan community better.
How we operate and maintain the project
Georgia Vihara Welfare Foundation fund will operate as a separate account. The account has been already started with a generous donor who donated $500 dollars. This is a very good beginning; we will display the names of all the sponsors and the students names on our web site. The sponsor can name their sponsorship under anyone’s name, for example their children or departed one’s names. You can join the program by emailing us or contacting us by phone or sending us a letter through regular mail. A student who is in the scholarship program will get 400 Rupees. We are planning to sponsor students from grade 5 and up. We are expecting to collect from each sponsor US $ 75.00 annually. All account activities will be opened to the supporters. The most important thing is the continuity of your commitment. Because of your help, students will achieve their desired educational destiny.
Is this limited to scholarships only?
No, our plan is to begin with the scholarship program, but if we find large number of supporters in the future, we will expand our project in the following areas
1. Water cultivations , Well projects, canals cleanings and running water projects.
2. School and Housing projects.
3. Farming cultivation.
4. Road and environmental projects.
5. Elderly nursing and Children nursing.
