When I was 16 years old, I visited an orphanage in Sri Lanka about two hours outside the capital Colombo, with my mother and sister. The orphanage was a large, open facility with around fifty girls and boys running around cheerfully, barefoot, in slightly worn clothes.
The children varied in age, some had physical and mental disabilities but the main commonality was borne by dark stories of violence and incest, abusive employers (since child labor is not uncommon) and stories of abandonment due to parents’ inability to provide for their children.
The children craved the attention of visitors and in their enthusiasm pulled us in multiple directions thrilled at the prospect of new company. Despite the cheer that echoed through the building, torn books gathered dust in the corner acting as a harsh reminder that education was perceived as more a luxury than a necessity, in an institution that struggled to make ends meet.
Although quite young myself, the memory of the orphanage and the pure injustice of it all remained etched in my mind. On the drive home I naively told my mother that I wanted to one day open a home for orphaned children and create a place where they would have a life filled with everything they needed. These innocently declared words had no real depth at an age when minds and opinions change on daily basis. Over the years however, I never stopped thinking about this old proclamation.
Fifteen years later, having become a successful management consultant at a top international firm, I was slowly but surely working my way up the corporate ladder to partner. Here, I hoped to use the lucrative salary partners were rumored to make, to financially back philanthropic organizations that supported children’s causes around the world.
One Sunday afternoon, on a beautiful sunny day in Los Angeles, I was in my apartment working, struggling to meet a deadline. Outside my window, I could hear the chattering from the farmers market. I saw my neighbors packing up their Jeep to go surfing and I craved to feel the sand on my feet.
Then, just as I had made my spontaneous statement as a teenager, I realized that I wanted to pursue this wild “change-the-world” dream. I had inadvertently nurtured the concept that I wanted to implement through years of contemplation, conversations and involvement in projects that support education. I knew Sri Lanka would be a good place to start because of my awareness of the intricate cultural, religious, and political setting, being of Sri Lankan origin myself.
I spent the next year preparing and I have the honor of being able to partner with key organizations in addition to being given the awe inspiring opportunity to receive the guidance and expertise from experienced mentors. Additionally, the professional skills I had developed around strategy and operations allowed me to bring a unique approach to this non-profit initiative. I have now taken a year off from my career, to move to Sri Lanka and take a hands-on approach to establishing the operations of the children’s home and other complimenting programs that support our self-sufficiency efforts.
I decided to call the organization the “Malini Foundation” after my grandmother, who was a woman beyond her generation. She was married at the tender age of 18 and never worked a day in her life but always encouragingly said “girls can do anything that boys can do.” The memories of her strong and jovial personality still brings friends and family together as they reminisce about the pranks she played, her kind and welcoming nature when she first met a person and her generous support of anyone who came to her in need. She embodied the spirit of the organization I wanted to create.
Thank you for joining me in this incredibly humbling and gratifying journey!
Valerie
The children varied in age, some had physical and mental disabilities but the main commonality was borne by dark stories of violence and incest, abusive employers (since child labor is not uncommon) and stories of abandonment due to parents’ inability to provide for their children.
The children craved the attention of visitors and in their enthusiasm pulled us in multiple directions thrilled at the prospect of new company. Despite the cheer that echoed through the building, torn books gathered dust in the corner acting as a harsh reminder that education was perceived as more a luxury than a necessity, in an institution that struggled to make ends meet.
Although quite young myself, the memory of the orphanage and the pure injustice of it all remained etched in my mind. On the drive home I naively told my mother that I wanted to one day open a home for orphaned children and create a place where they would have a life filled with everything they needed. These innocently declared words had no real depth at an age when minds and opinions change on daily basis. Over the years however, I never stopped thinking about this old proclamation.
Fifteen years later, having become a successful management consultant at a top international firm, I was slowly but surely working my way up the corporate ladder to partner. Here, I hoped to use the lucrative salary partners were rumored to make, to financially back philanthropic organizations that supported children’s causes around the world.
One Sunday afternoon, on a beautiful sunny day in Los Angeles, I was in my apartment working, struggling to meet a deadline. Outside my window, I could hear the chattering from the farmers market. I saw my neighbors packing up their Jeep to go surfing and I craved to feel the sand on my feet.
Then, just as I had made my spontaneous statement as a teenager, I realized that I wanted to pursue this wild “change-the-world” dream. I had inadvertently nurtured the concept that I wanted to implement through years of contemplation, conversations and involvement in projects that support education. I knew Sri Lanka would be a good place to start because of my awareness of the intricate cultural, religious, and political setting, being of Sri Lankan origin myself.
I spent the next year preparing and I have the honor of being able to partner with key organizations in addition to being given the awe inspiring opportunity to receive the guidance and expertise from experienced mentors. Additionally, the professional skills I had developed around strategy and operations allowed me to bring a unique approach to this non-profit initiative. I have now taken a year off from my career, to move to Sri Lanka and take a hands-on approach to establishing the operations of the children’s home and other complimenting programs that support our self-sufficiency efforts.
I decided to call the organization the “Malini Foundation” after my grandmother, who was a woman beyond her generation. She was married at the tender age of 18 and never worked a day in her life but always encouragingly said “girls can do anything that boys can do.” The memories of her strong and jovial personality still brings friends and family together as they reminisce about the pranks she played, her kind and welcoming nature when she first met a person and her generous support of anyone who came to her in need. She embodied the spirit of the organization I wanted to create.
Thank you for joining me in this incredibly humbling and gratifying journey!
Valerie