Relief Fund - Sri Lanka Easter Sunday Attack
Donation protected
We are not helpless; by God we can help.
As a Sri Lankan Muslim it is my duty to serve those in dire need as a result of this senseless tragedy. Christians have been killed in their churches and our Sri Lankans have been senselessly massacred on Easter Sunday in my once peaceful island nation, on such a blessed day. Hotel guests, visitors, and civilians have been affected and their lives and those of their loved ones have changed forever.
If you would like to make a donation or a gift to help survivors/victims affected by this attack, please do so. I thank you, and Sri Lanka thanks you.
The situation
More than 300 people have lost their lives, and nearly 500 are currently injured. This has been one of the darkest days in our Sri Lankan history. Communities are in fear, and we need to rise up.
If you blow up churches, we will open our mosques for them to pray. When they are in need, we will come running to their aid. I schooled at a school in Sri Lanka that taught me to accept all races and religions. I have friends from all religions who have never made me feel lesser because of my religion (I am fortunate for that and grateful). We feel their fear and pain, and I'd like for us to also be their hope and light - their peace in this dark time. The situation is looking dire in my country, and it pains me immensely, but I will not stand to lose hope and be depressed and do nothing.
Our communal ways of thinking, our biases and prejudices must end. It must start now, and with us. We must lead by example and compassion. Enough is enough. They want us to fall, but we have to rise.
This is my pledge to you:
Aside from any GoFundMe and related processing/administration fees, 100% of your proceeds will be redistributed directly to local transparent causes in Sri Lanka that work directly with the affected. I will vet them myself and ensure that you get the most value for your kind donation/gift. If you know me, you know that you can trust me with your life. I am raising funds for my mother Lanka in her heartbreaking time of need. I will take sole responsibility for the allocation of every rupee/dollar you donate, and will provide you documented evidence of what happened with your precious funds.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email redacted]
Where will the funds go?
I am currently in the process of vetting local causes that have the most transparency (e.g. Rotaract Club Negombo) .
I have trusted networks in Sri Lanka that will guarantee the appropriate usage of the funds with due oversight and paper trails. I would like to ensure that the funds go to direct causes and victims affected, like local churches etc. Some examples we are looking at are:
Kindhearted Lankans: currently collecting donations to help both the victims of the tragedy and patients who were already in hospital that have given up their beds for the more needy.
https://www.kindheartedlankans.com/
Rotaract Club Negombo: working directly with Negombo General Hospital
https://www.instagram.com/rotaract_negombo/?hl=en
A few individuals on the ground have also been requesting assistance, like:
Moses Akash de Silva: distributing supplies such as water, through the Voice for Voiceless Foundation: https://vforv.org/
Gava Bolonghe : collecting money to buy caskets/coffins for the families
Who I am and where I'm from:
My name is Nazran Baba. I was born in Sri Lanka and I currently reside in the U.S. in Silver Spring, MD working as a Business Analyst. I visit Sri Lanka as I am able to. My immediate family is back in Sri Lanka.
Your relationship to the parties you're raising funds for
My friends and family are on the ground in Sri Lanka and have identified a few local charities (e.g. local churches that were affected, Voice for Voiceless Foundation, Rotaract Club Colombo, social workers at the forefront of response services) that we can directly provide financial assistance to. We will identify what they will do with the money, provide them the finances to obtain the goods or provide the relief services, and then update this forum with that documented evidence.
Use of funds
Potential options: medical expenses for victims affected to cover bills, hospital supplies, food and dry rations, construction expenses of local churches and impacted infrastructure. We will try to identify the most pressing needs.
Fund withdraw plan
I will stop the campaign at $2000 or whichever amount we reach in the next 2-3 weeks, and I will withdraw it from my U.S. bank account and wire the money to worthy recipients like the local charities or individuals working directly on the ground via direct local bank transfer (not cash). The current exchange rate is 174 LKR = 1 USD. This is a small start but still a step to help them.
Updates
I will post updates regularly on this forum, using the updates feature. If you would like me to email you updates as well, feel free to send me your email directly and I will keep you informed through that too.
Have a charity in mind?
Please contact me via the email above and I will be so glad to review the cause and get in touch with you, especially if it is a good fit with my vision.
God bless Sri Lanka, and please pray for her healing. I would like to see us come out of this even stronger and more united after this. My Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim family, we are all one picture in our flag - in one home. We will also look after one another like family.
"A Muslim is one from whose hand and tongue others are safe" Sahih Muslim 1:65: Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
As a Sri Lankan Muslim it is my duty to serve those in dire need as a result of this senseless tragedy. Christians have been killed in their churches and our Sri Lankans have been senselessly massacred on Easter Sunday in my once peaceful island nation, on such a blessed day. Hotel guests, visitors, and civilians have been affected and their lives and those of their loved ones have changed forever.
If you would like to make a donation or a gift to help survivors/victims affected by this attack, please do so. I thank you, and Sri Lanka thanks you.
The situation
More than 300 people have lost their lives, and nearly 500 are currently injured. This has been one of the darkest days in our Sri Lankan history. Communities are in fear, and we need to rise up.
If you blow up churches, we will open our mosques for them to pray. When they are in need, we will come running to their aid. I schooled at a school in Sri Lanka that taught me to accept all races and religions. I have friends from all religions who have never made me feel lesser because of my religion (I am fortunate for that and grateful). We feel their fear and pain, and I'd like for us to also be their hope and light - their peace in this dark time. The situation is looking dire in my country, and it pains me immensely, but I will not stand to lose hope and be depressed and do nothing.
Our communal ways of thinking, our biases and prejudices must end. It must start now, and with us. We must lead by example and compassion. Enough is enough. They want us to fall, but we have to rise.
This is my pledge to you:
Aside from any GoFundMe and related processing/administration fees, 100% of your proceeds will be redistributed directly to local transparent causes in Sri Lanka that work directly with the affected. I will vet them myself and ensure that you get the most value for your kind donation/gift. If you know me, you know that you can trust me with your life. I am raising funds for my mother Lanka in her heartbreaking time of need. I will take sole responsibility for the allocation of every rupee/dollar you donate, and will provide you documented evidence of what happened with your precious funds.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email redacted]
Where will the funds go?
I am currently in the process of vetting local causes that have the most transparency (e.g. Rotaract Club Negombo) .
I have trusted networks in Sri Lanka that will guarantee the appropriate usage of the funds with due oversight and paper trails. I would like to ensure that the funds go to direct causes and victims affected, like local churches etc. Some examples we are looking at are:
Kindhearted Lankans: currently collecting donations to help both the victims of the tragedy and patients who were already in hospital that have given up their beds for the more needy.
https://www.kindheartedlankans.com/
Rotaract Club Negombo: working directly with Negombo General Hospital
https://www.instagram.com/rotaract_negombo/?hl=en
A few individuals on the ground have also been requesting assistance, like:
Moses Akash de Silva: distributing supplies such as water, through the Voice for Voiceless Foundation: https://vforv.org/
Gava Bolonghe : collecting money to buy caskets/coffins for the families
Who I am and where I'm from:
My name is Nazran Baba. I was born in Sri Lanka and I currently reside in the U.S. in Silver Spring, MD working as a Business Analyst. I visit Sri Lanka as I am able to. My immediate family is back in Sri Lanka.
Your relationship to the parties you're raising funds for
My friends and family are on the ground in Sri Lanka and have identified a few local charities (e.g. local churches that were affected, Voice for Voiceless Foundation, Rotaract Club Colombo, social workers at the forefront of response services) that we can directly provide financial assistance to. We will identify what they will do with the money, provide them the finances to obtain the goods or provide the relief services, and then update this forum with that documented evidence.
Use of funds
Potential options: medical expenses for victims affected to cover bills, hospital supplies, food and dry rations, construction expenses of local churches and impacted infrastructure. We will try to identify the most pressing needs.
Fund withdraw plan
I will stop the campaign at $2000 or whichever amount we reach in the next 2-3 weeks, and I will withdraw it from my U.S. bank account and wire the money to worthy recipients like the local charities or individuals working directly on the ground via direct local bank transfer (not cash). The current exchange rate is 174 LKR = 1 USD. This is a small start but still a step to help them.
Updates
I will post updates regularly on this forum, using the updates feature. If you would like me to email you updates as well, feel free to send me your email directly and I will keep you informed through that too.
Have a charity in mind?
Please contact me via the email above and I will be so glad to review the cause and get in touch with you, especially if it is a good fit with my vision.
God bless Sri Lanka, and please pray for her healing. I would like to see us come out of this even stronger and more united after this. My Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim family, we are all one picture in our flag - in one home. We will also look after one another like family.
"A Muslim is one from whose hand and tongue others are safe" Sahih Muslim 1:65: Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
Organizer
Nazran Baba
Organizer
Silver Spring, MD
