Grantee Spotlight – Malini Foundation

In April of 2015, Circle of Sisterhood awarded a $5,000 grant to Malini Foundation, a nonprofit social enterprise that advances the interest of women and girls in Sri Lanka through quality education and by empowering them to use their voices in the international community. The Malini Foundation seeks to nurture a positive perspective of female education in a region where women’s education is undervalued. By developing programs and skill building initiatives that engage children, parents and educators, the Malini Foundation aims to not only help these women become drivers of their own destinies, but also to instill a positive perspective of educating girls within their communities.

The Circle of Sisterhood grant supported the Malini Home for Gifted Orphan Girls, which is dedicated to providing a safe, healthy and sustainable living environment for its female residents. In addition to offering a comfortable home and adequate nutrition, it is unique in its inclusion of a housemother, who serves as a loving maternal figure for the girls. With the support of Circle of Sisterhood, the home now has necessary pieces of furniture, a professionally trained housemother, and is currently sponsoring four girls, with the hopes of integrating another four to the Home by the end of 2016. The Malini Foundation, along with the Circle of Sisterhood, is committed to creating a home that fosters and enables these girls to become self-sufficient, empowered, confident and educated women who will utilize their knowledge to positively impact their community for generations to come.

Additionally, a portion of the Circle of Sisterhood grant also assisted the Malini Foundation in the creation and implementation of a creative arts and scholastic-focused afterschool program. Targeting at risk children, this educational program provides additional instruction, sanctuary and food for the children, affording support to the students and often much-necessary relief to working parents. The Workshops teach English as a Foreign Language using an issue-based curriculum addressing key cultural and social issues that impact gender equality. The Circle of Sisterhood has supported the building and development of the curriculum through the purchase of textbooks (both Teacher’s Editions and Student’s Workbooks). Furthermore, Circle of Sisterhood support has purchased the arts and crafts and STEM materials that the children use.

At the Circle of Sisterhood we are thrilled to have been able to provide the necessary support to an organization whose mission is so in line with our own! Give today to help us continue removing educational barriers!