How we work

Selection of Places

After getting information regarding the places where the children or students might need our support, we directly visit the locality, see the Childrens’ Homes, local rural organizations and schools, if any. Based on our discussion with the local people, we confirm what sort of assistance the children need. Volunteers were also selected from the respective regions to execute the initiatives of uthawi.

Distribution of Funds

For the activities related with Eastern Province, uthawi fund is distributed directly to the uthawi volunteers who execute the activities such as Story-telling and Slow Learning. These volunteers are unemployed youth who remain at home otherwise as they were not able to continue their higher education due to socio-economic conditions of their parents and that of the region. The honorarium we provide serves as a kind of motivation and they also identify their inner strength and spirit through their involvement with uthawi. At present, some of these volunteers have become employees in the government sector. However, the salary they draw is enough only to meet their ends. Hence, uthawi continue to support them as the honorarium we provide covers only the transportation charges to execute uthawi activities.

For the activities related with Kandaloya Tamil Vidyalaya at the Kandaloya Estate of Kekale district in Sabaragamuwa Province, the uthawi fund is distributed directly to the account of the Principal of the School, which in turn distributed to the temporary teachers and needy students. The Principal of Kandaloya Tamil Vidyalaya monitors the activities and the financial matters related with the school. However, we have formed a committee which includes the Principal and the parents of the students to look after the issues of financial transactions. This committee regulates and monitors both the activities and the financial aspects of uthawi.

Besides, uthawi also extends financial support to organize events such as Onru Koodal (Childrens’ Meet), publication of chidrens’ creative work and stationary meant for the needy students.

Collection of Funds

As we function independently and wish to protect our independence, we accept donations only from friends. The fund donated by friends is our only financial resource. Friends act both as collectors of funds and donors.

Financial Transaction

Funds for uthawi activities are collected primarily through the bank account of ‘Kriegswaisenhilfe Sri-Lanka eV’, an organization registered in Germany, and also through bank accounts of uthawi friends in Switzerland, United Kingdom and Canada. The collected fund is transferred to the bank account of a uthawi friend in Sri Lanka once a year in order to reduce the bank transaction charges. The money is distributed to the bank accounts of other uthawi activists every month from the account of the uthawi friend. Every transaction is made through bank.

Management

Our primary concern is to ensure our activities are successfully carried out, rather than building uthawi as an institution. Hence, we neither have any office space nor any administrative structure. We communicate among ourselves through internet, phone and by direct visit based on necessity and possibility. We function collectively and voluntarily without any salary as we try to ensure that all resources we receive reach the respective needy places. Hence, all financial resources we receive reach the respective target groups of uthawi except the bank charges meant for financial transactions.

Monitoring

At any time, the donors can view all the financial transactions made from December 2002 to till date in our website using their password. The data were placed in our website as per the safety measures of ‘personal data protection.’

You could also observe our activities by directly vising the places where our activities are centered.