Janaposha Foundation’s free meals at hospitals regretfully closes doors

• After serving more than half a million people organisation says decision to close was made due to its services being “misconstrued”
  
   

The Janaposha Foundation issuing a statement announced with immediate effect the suspension of its free meals project.

The statement noted that it was “with great sense of sadness, despair and a heavy heart”that the Foundation has taken a decision to close its doors and suspend services from 25 June.

Unknown to many, since 2012, the Janaposha initiative has silently been serving the poor and underprivileged communities of Sri Lanka. As a truly Sri Lankan organisation, the foundation has served all those who have walked through its doors.

Since its inception, the Janaposha Foundation understood that visitors to the country’s main General Hospital were already burdened with a sense of helplessness; a majority travel from far corners of the country seeking healing or visiting sick family members, their sense of despair heightens as many stay hungry to save money or simply because they do not have time to look after themselves or know where to go for a simple meal.

With a firm belief that they should not go hungry, the foundation initially began operations near the General Hospital Colombo, regardless of caste or creed, untiringly providing free warm wholesome meals to all who visited its centre.

With the realisation that many of the underprivileged visiting the Teaching Hospital Kalubowila and the Cancer Hospital Maharagamaalso faced similar dire situations, a daily struggle for food, thefoundation extended its services to these locations in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Todate the Janaposha Foundation has annually served over half a million people irrespective of caste, race and religion who availed themselves of free food, sharing meals together in harmony.

The foundation has continuously worked towards the well-being of the underprivileged it served and remains committed to ensure these poor caregivers are not marginalised.  

However, it has been brought to the notice of the foundation that its noble intention of serving the poor and destitute has been misconstrued.

With a sense of responsibility and given the tenuous circumstances, the foundation is left with no choice but with a heavy heart and a grave sense of despair, forced to suspend operations immediately at the General Hospital, Kalubowila Teaching Hospital and the Maharagama Cancer Hospital.

The foundation is also mindful of its responsibility towards the safety and security of its diverse employees who unstintingly worked together dedicating themselves towards this worthy cause. The suspension of the foundation’s services will ensure its staff is not endangered in anyway should acts of communal violence be directed towards them.

Implementing the Janaposha Foundation’s vision to feed the poor involved the efforts of various stakeholders and the Foundation extends its sincere and heartfelt appreciation to all for the trust and confidence placed in this truly noble cause.