Since last year, the MJF Charitable Foundation has partnered with Free Wheelchair Mission (FWM), a humanitarian, faith-based nonprofit organisation dedicated to designing and manufacturing cost-efficient, durable wheelchairs for developing countries worldwide. FWM has successfully distributed 1.5 million wheelchairs to individuals with disabilities across 95 developing nations, offering them renewed dignity, independence and freedom through mobility, all at no cost.
In our mission to improve the lives of Sri Lankans with disabilities, we have been actively distributing these wheelchairs through our MJF Centres in the east and west. This year, we achieved the milestone of distributing 381 wheelchairs to those in greatest need. A significant achievement was the distribution of 68 tailor-made wheelchairs to individuals from rural communities in Kalkudah, from the remote villages of Komari and Vellavely. In addition, our team in Kalkudah ensured that beneficiaries were taught how to assemble and use their wheelchairs effectively.
To date, 451 wheelchairs have been distributed from the MJF Foundation Kalkudah to various hospitals, including the Teaching Hospital in Badulla, Ampara and Valaichenai Base Hospitals, and the District General Hospital in Moneragala, as well as surrounding communities.
Beyond mobility, the Foundation is deeply committed to supporting national healthcare in Sri Lanka through the ‘1990 Suwa Seriya’, a free ambulance service. We have donated a total of 7 ambulances that operate in the west, north, east, and central provinces.
Additionally, we have contributed to Suwa Arana, Sri Lanka’s first paediatric palliative care centre, and the High-Dependency Care Facility in Nawalapitiya, which provides specialised medical care primarily to tea estate communities in the Central Province.
In our efforts to combat cervical cancer, 17,095 cervical cancer HPV DNA test kits were donated to the Sri Lankan government, supporting the national government’s goal to eliminate this disease in Sri Lanka.
These initiatives are a testament to our commitment to ethical business practices, which is central to Dilmah, and have substantially and positively impacted the citizens of Sri Lanka, spreading the goodness of tea and the kindness of helping society.
