When Indira Lakshmanan, Foreign Correspondent of the Boston Globe, visited Sri Lanka sometime in early 2000, she relived in an article, her story of the Tamil separatist movement and the struggle of Tamil civilians caught in the horrors of the ethnic war. Indira recounts how young children caught up in the middle of death and destruction and no moral or emotional guiding force, end up embittered and perhaps become the new group of militants. And yet to many others, hope and light seemed possible, thanks to Boston based charity and non profit organization called Manitha Neyam. The Manitha Neyam Trust Inc., or ''Love for Humanity,'' was founded by V Kailasapillai who is the Chairman of Manitha Neyam in Sri Lanka. In August/September 1999 during his visit to the US, he took the initiative of starting a US chapter along with his son, Kailas Aravinthan, an employee of John Hancock Corp.

The goal of the trust is to render charitable, social and educational services by offering assistance to the needy as well as disabled children/ people and engage in vocational training to needy children and/or people by creating specific or general funds for such purposes either directly or on behalf of others. The volunteers also act as custodian Trustees of such funds provided they are specifically created for social welfare and/or charitable purposes.

Funding for this school which is based in Colombo comes from this trust that also takes care of a home for deaf and dumb children, a home for needy girls and elderly women and an orphanage for children. On a mere twenty dollars a month, which is approximately Rs 1800/-per child, the group is able to make a difference in a child’s life.

Iniya Valvu Illam, a Home for Deaf and Blind Children, at Mullaitivu provides maintenance to a total of 66 children who are also taken for specialized eye treatment in batches of four to Anuradhapura,the nearest city. Yogar Swamigal Thiruvadi Nilayam, a Home for Elders at Killinochchi has a total number of 89 persons who are provided with nutritious food and given medicines for their individual ailments.

Sithy Vinayagar Hindu College, and the Colombo Hindu College at Ratmalana have a hostel for Needy Children who have no parents or have a single parent Medical professionals visit the hostel from time to time and provide free medical examination and blood test, and a free dental treatment. The Sakthi Illam a Hostel for girls behind Colombo Hindu College, Ratmalana provides accomodation to four needy girls who have lost their parents and also accommodate elderly ladies. This building was recently renovated by the All Ceylon Hindu Congress.

Mahadeva Ashram, An Orphanage in Killinochchi, had originally 20 children but with the escalation of hostilities at Kaithadi in the Thenmarachchy area, several persons at the Kaithadi Orphanage got displaced. Most of these displaced from Kaithadi had to be admitted to this home and today the total number of persons in this home is more than 52.

The Education Development Society,assists Orphans in Batticaloa in the education of children from the backward villages and war-affected areas around Batticaloa. Aourn 37 children benefit form this program.

The enduring achievement of this non profit has been the setting up of an endowment fund entitled “Scholarship for Higher Education Endowment Fund”. The Fund was initiated by Chelvan, son of the late Prof. Vithiananthan and the late Mrs. Vithiananthan who donated US $ 1,000 (= SL Rs. 89,000) and from other donors making a total of over SL Rs. 500,000. The group also provides for IT(Computer courses) to students who have for various reasons not gained admission to the Colombo Hindu College. They are provided free accommodation and meals in a house donated by the All Ceylon Hindu Congress

The trust also has a chapter in the UK . The team of dedicated volunteers of this trust in the US are President: P. Gunarajasingham, Secretary:Suresh Sivasithamparam and Treasurer:Mr.Kailas Aravinthan . Directors are A.Navanandan,Thiru Satchi, K.Manoranjan,K.Jayanthan,K.Kandasamy and V. Kailasapillai For more information click to www.manithaneyam.org

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