Message from the Trustees
Vision of Love was founded in February 2016 with the aim of supporting the poorest, regardless of caste, colour, race or religion. We are an organisation, which dedicates itself to humanity and are pleased to say that we have completed many projects to help those who desperately needed it.
Vision of Love has assisted with cataract operations for communities in Sri Lanka. Although government support exists for cataract treatment, it is simply not reaching the right people with the most needs. Some of the patients have lost sight in both of their eyes. There is also a lack of education about the existence of cataract treatment, so many people go on believing that nothing can be done to alleviate their symptoms. What Vision of Love has done is to go into these villages, run medical pre-screening camps, and then provide additional funding, not just for the operations, but also for transportation and accommodation costs to enable patients to travel to a central location to undergo treatment. Over 300 cataract operations have been carried out, at a cost ranging between £20-£50 per patient depending on whether the lens has been donated to us.
Another important Vision of Love initiative is the Education in Human Values (EHV) programme. This is a venture aimed at children and parents in poor communities, where the charity provides funding for monthly workshops where these people are taught about human values, how to manage issues such as drugs/alcohol abuse. For this project we also provide financial support (£5-£10 per family month) towards the tuition fee. Currently 50 families are benefiting from this aid.
In addition, the provision of dry rations to the elderly and needy families is another major Vision of Love initiative, particularly in some of Sri Lanka’s remote and deprived villages in Mullaitivu. The concept is similar to that of a food bank you would see in the UK. Vision of Love goes into these communities, with the support of local government agents and affiliates who find and vet the list of people in most need, and provide staple foods such as dhal and rice. The typical recipients are children who have lost their parents or elderly grandparents who are looking after their grandchildren, and have no other means or income or support to feed them. All it takes is approximately £10 to feed a family of three with a sufficient supply of basic food to last them for a month, and at the moment over 63 families have benefited from this project.
A related project is Vision of Love’s Village Services project, where the charity is providing food, clothing and necessities for the elderly, as well as stationery and funding to local school children. The aim is to provide funding for essential upkeep and support in these local villages initially in the North, but with a vision to expand other parts of the country. So far, this has reached around over 200 people.
Vision of Love has also completed a water purification project to help a community in the Mannar district in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. In this region, it is common for people to walk over 2km to get access to water, and even in these situations, the water has not been desalinated and treated and is prone to contamination. With funding from Vision of Love, a new water purification system was installed to treat salty to create potable drinking water, which has improved the lives of 40 families in this area.
Vision of Love has also engaged in construction projects in both the Eastern and Southern parts of Sri Lanka . These include the renovation of a property in Batticoloa for a grandmother with three dependent grandchildren, as well as a funding contribution for the construction of an elderly home in Meegoda, South of Sri Lanka.
Vision of Love’s activities are not constrained to Sri Lanka. In the UK, we have partnered with Faith in Action, an affiliated charity to provide ongoing support to their efforts with the homeless community in Merton. Every fortnight, Vision of Love is providing donations of fresh vegetables for Faith in Action’s homeless drop-in center throughout the year. On average, 65 homeless people and vulnerable people attend each session.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to expand and support those in need both in Sri Lanka, UK and beyond.
The Trustees of Vision of Love
