About HELP
Helping East Lanka Progress (HELP) was set up as a trust by Dr Vip Thiagarasah in August 2005 to relieve the suffering of victims affected by the devastating tsunami of December 2004 on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. It received charitable status from the Charity Commission on 19 September 2005 (registered charity no 1111363 - further information available at www.charitycommission.gov.uk ).
The origins of HELP!
In the weeks preceding the devastating tsunami of December 2004, Dr Thiagarasah had been touring North and Eastern Sri Lanka on a charitable football tour. A number of the towns and villages he had visited were badly affected by the tsunami and his father lost two cousins in the tragedy. This drove Vip to organise a mission to the East Coast of Sri Lanka in January 2005 with the aim of providing emergency medical aid to those affected. He resigned his post at St Bartholomew's hospital in London and put together a party of 22 medics from London teaching hospitals to travel to the East Coast at their own expense.
The mission was a great success. Based in a hospital in Thirrikuvil, the team provided invaluable assistance and medical equipment to hospital staff who had been completely overwhelmed by the demands of the tsunami.
On his return to the UK, Dr Thiagarasah decided that there was a need to finance longer term projects in the region, specifically focussing on the needs of the children, many of whom had been orphaned or traumatised by the tsunami. He therefore arranged a second visit to the region in July 2005, accompanied by two friends (Alan Ball and Andrew Schneidau) with the aim of identifying viable longer term projects.
Again, this short mission was a great success with a number of extremely worthwhile projects identified (see here). Local banking arrangements were put in place to ensure that funds would be employed only on the projects identified and strong links were forged with a locally based charity (Community Focused Disaster Response - CFDR) to manage the projects.
Helping East Lanka Progress (HELP!) was set up as a trust in August to manage the projects identified. Charitable status for the trust was granted in September 2005.
The Objectives of HELP!
The Objectives of HELP! can be described very simply - to provide assistance to the families, and specifically the children, of East Lanka who have suffered as a result of the tsunami. The principle upon which the charity operates is equally as simple - ALL funds raised by the charity will be spent in East Lanka on projects identified by its trustees. There have not been, and will not be, any administrative fees incurred by the charity- everyone involved with HELP offers their services on a voluntary basis and the banking arrangements have been set up specifically to ensure that all funds transferred to Sri Lanka will go directly to the worthwhile causes identified by the trustees.
If you would like to make a donation to HELP! or would like further information on the operations and aims of the Trust, please do not hesitate to email us.
Pre-school in Akkaraipattu
We have, for a number of years, been supporting a small pre-school for children in the village where the Home is situated. Read more »
Educational and Vocational centre in Navkatadu
A local village, Navatkadu, has been recognized by the local authority as impoverished, with families living under the poverty line and children having difficulties without proper access to education. Read more »
Amman Girls' Home
The Amman Girls Home in Akkaraipattu cares for 52 orphaned girls between the ages of 6 and 16. Read more »
Little Flowers School
HELP has funded free after-school classes in Tamil history, English, Science and Social Studies for the children of Thirikuvil, a village on the East Coast which was devastated by the tsunami. Read more »
HELP has provided a monthly bursary to the Swami Vipulananda Home from 2006 to assist with its ongoing expenses and to employ an after-school IT teacher for the boys. We also provided funding to assist with the setting up of a sustainable farm run by the boys. The Home is now funded by other donors and no longer needs our support.
HELP has been actively providing medical and other equipment to the local hospital in Thirrukovil, which services a large population of Ampara District.
Read more »
July 2022
Also in July 2022, we received a request from Mr Gunapalan, our school teacher in Thirrikuvil, to help support 100 elderly people in Thandiyaki who were suffering from the crisis. We were very pleased to be able to provide the funds to buy rice and other foodstuffs for these elders.
July 2022
In July 2022, we received a request from the orphanage for two very worthwhile projects. The first was to set up 60 families with seeds, plants, compost etc to establish their own gardens to provide a livelihood and, of course, their own home produce. The second project was to provide dry food parcels for 200 families headed by women who were suffering desperately from the economic crisis. We were very happy to support both.
April 2022
In April 2022, we received a request to increase our monthly fund transfer to the girls home to meet its ongoing costs, which had increased significantly due to the economic difficulties of the country. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were very happy to do so. We also provided new clothes and equipment (beds, mattresses and school equipment) for four girls who had recently been taken into the care of the orphanage.
October 2021
In October 2021, we received a request from the orphanage to support the educational costs of four of the girls who had successfully achieved the necessary grades to attend university, an outstanding achievement by all four girls. We were delighted to be able to support them. We also provided additional support for the orphanage, including educational equipment and the completion of the external wall to provide greater security for the girls.
November 2020
In November 2020, we provided additional support for the orphanage in Akkaraipattu, providing funds for new clothes and educational equipment for the girls.
May 2020
In May 2020, with thanks to our many generous donors, we were able to arrange an emergency Covid support package for 260 families in the remote villages of Ampara District. Coordinated by our good friend Mr Vamadevan, who runs the orphanage in Akkaraipattu, dry food parcels were distributed to deserving families in the region.