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Save Sun Wind Beach Kalpitiya

Dear  Friends,

We are seeking  your kind
assistance during these unprecedented
times to save our kite resort/ kite school -
Sun Wind Beach Kalpitiya- Sri Lanka.

As you know COVID-19 is impacting us all.
People are getting sick, families are losing
loved ones, businesses are closing down and millions of jobs being lost.

The virus is decimating the tourist industry
globally. It is having an unprecedented 
impact on the viability of small grass roots
businesses in developing countries like
ours, which don’t have the large amounts of capital required to survive such uncertain
and turbulent times.

Our Story
For those who have visited us, you would
know our humble little kite resort/
kite school is very authentic and special.
We are the only locally owned kite school/ resort in Kalpitiya Sri Lanka where all
employees are members of the same
extended fishing family.

All income earned goes directly back to the 
local community, feeding 5 extended
families and covering schooling for our
children. 

Sun Wind Beach is owned by Susantha
Fernando Kalpitiya’s first local kitesurfer.
Susantha comes from a local fishing family
who have lived in the area for generations.
Having picked up the sport nearly 10 years ago Susantha opened Sun Wind Beach
kiteresort in 2015. This has always been
Susantha’s dream. 

We provide employment  to several
members of our family.  

Our boatsman/instructors are all
cousins, Mum and aunties work in the
kitchen, Dad Francis and uncles have 
built most cabanas by hand and grandma 
has made all the roof thatching.
 
We have created this kite resort/ kite
school all on our own using local loans and have no foreign partnerships. 

You can find out more about our kite resort/ kiteschool at the following website:

www.swbkalpitiya.com 

Current Issues

COVID-19 is a double whammy for us and particularly disastrous being the second 
emergency to have happened within the
last 12 
 months.  

We just pulled through after the Sri Lankan terrorist attacks in April 2019
thanks to the guests and students who
stayed with us over during Dec to Feb
2020 and now we have had to face
cancellations for March as well as for the
2020 upcoming summer season.

The loss of bookings means that we don’t
have the funds to cover our staff salaries,    food, rent and utilities, let alone the
necessary seasonal repair work to our
small kiteschool such as re-thatching
cabana roofs. To put it simply, we are in
dire straits and are in desperate need of
assistance.

Sri Lanka is a developing country without
the social welfare or relief packages  that
many European countries have in terms of
financial bailouts. Here it is survival of the
fittest. 

We have always prided ourselves on our
resilience and ability to pull through times of crises just like our fellow Sri Lankan
brothers and sisters. However these are
unprecedented and uncertain times with
the grounding of airlines and closure of
borders.

Without any form of income as soon as
possible we will have to close permanently which is heart breaking.  We are the 
perfect example of community based 
sustainable tourism. The loss of our
business would also affect countless
service providers in our local village. 

So our dear friends, we are sending out this
crowd funding page in the hope that you
could please find it in our hearts to please
help.

The Goal

We are seeking 6000 euros*** ( $10,000
Australian dollars) to enable 5 fishing
families to survive for the next 5 months.

The funds will go towards salaries of our
staff to cover food, utilities, rent and
children’s schooling for 5 fishing families as well as urgent repairs to our cabanas
including re thatching of the roofs.

Direct beneficiaries are:

- Susantha, his wife Jeevani and son Senula

- Jacinta and Francis ( Susanthas parents
who work at SWB)

- Brother  Lorans, wife and 2 
children

- Cousin Juse ( boatsman and kite
instructor at SunWind Beach) and his
parents

- Cousin Sudu
( boatsman and kite instructor at
Sun Wind Beach) his wife, and 3 children

- Cousin Amila ( boatsman)
and Aunty Margaret ( kitchen hand)

Giving Back 

In appreciation of your kindness we are
offering:

All Donations: 10% off your next booking

Donations over 50 euros: 

- 1 free Vella Island trip ( including return boat transfer, rescue boat, lunch and snacks)

-  kite trick lessons by Susantha during
Vella Island trip


Donations Over 100 euros:

- 1 free Vella Island trip ( including return
boat transfer, rescue boat, lunch and
snacks)

- kite trick lessons by Susantha during Vella Island trip

- 1 handmade collage painting by Susantha 

Thank you 

Your kindness and generosity will
never be forgotten. We will try to remain
positive and look forward to the day where we can kite together once more.

Thank you and well wishes to you, your
families and friends.

xx

Susantha and the Sun Wind Beach Team 

*** please note our Go Fund home page
displays funds in Australian dollars
( not USD)

Donate

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $70 
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 2 yrs
  • Anonymous
    • $50 
    • 3 yrs
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Organizer

Susantha Fernando
Organizer

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