Giving back to the nation that nurtured

• Sri Lankan-born philanthropist makes a difference at home and abroad

Umayal Eswaran is the Sri Lankan-born Chair of Hong Kong-based RYTHM Foundation. As an advocate for civic concerns related to women, children, youth and other vulnerable and minority groups, Umayal helps to drive social change at a grassroots level through the efforts of RYTHM Foundation, the social impact initiative of the QI Group. Though she left Sri Lanka in the early ’90s when she met and married Malaysian entrepreneur Vijay Eswaran, her motherland is never far from her thoughts. She shares more about giving back to the nation that nurtured her. Following are excerpts:

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background in Sri Lanka and how it inspired your philanthropic values?

I was born and raised in Colombo, where I spent my formative years in a very closely-knit community, and the cultural values I imbibed from there played a role in shaping my beliefs as an adult. But I think it was mainly my parents and their constant examples of generosity of spirit that moulded my desire to give back to society.

My father was a well-respected businessman and highly regarded by everyone who knew him. People, including strangers, would often show up at our home seeking his help. I rarely ever saw the front door of our home closed. Anyone who walked into our home got a meal cooked by my mother and a supportive listening ear from my father. They nurtured a culture of compassion and empathy in our family and having grown up in this environment, I guess you could say it’s in my blood. 

Q: What motivates you to keep coming back to the place you once knew as home?

 Malaysia might be my homeland now after living there for over three decades, but Sri Lanka will always be the motherland that nourished and nurtured me in my youth. I have a deep sense of appreciation and respect for the society that ingrained in me the solid values system that I have today which empowered me to pursue and achieve my dreams and goals. 

These values have also influenced RYTHM Foundation’s emphasis on personal development in all our programs with underserved communities. We believe that to empower people to better themselves, we must also nourish their minds and spirits. So, I think it is only right that I give back as much as I can, even though I feel it will never be enough. 

Q:Tell us about the work of RYTHM Foundation in Sri Lanka. 

Our first social impact projects in Sri Lanka began after the devastating Tsunami in 2004, when we contributed to relief efforts in the form of significant financial aid as well as on-ground volunteers form within the QI Group. In recent years, RYTHM Foundation has partnered with local NGOs for projects that address the needs of underserved communities at the grassroots level. Currently, we have three ongoing projects with partners across various districts.

In Mullaitivu, we launched a social enterprise project with LEADS to create employment and provide affordable housing and more for struggling families. In Jaffna and Kilinochchi, we worked closely with the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement to train vulnerable women through vocational courses that have enabled them to start businesses. We also promoted the social inclusion of the differently abled in the Kandy district with the Women’s Development Centre to help hundreds of individuals with special needs and their families. 

Our overall goal is to empower the communities for the long-term to ensure that they can become self-reliant and sustain their growth independently when our projects end. 

Q: What are some successes that you have seen in Sri Lanka as a result of the projects supported by your Foundation?

 While we have many success stories, a recent one that makes me very proud is the story of Sivakumari, a single mother in Vallipunam. She has been displaced from her home twice in her life due to the conflict. She took on daily wage labour to support her family. On many days she couldn’t get any work and her family would go hungry. 

Sivakumari joined our program with LEADS where she received training in the making of eco-friendly bricks and was also given a job which now earns her a steady income. Now she is able to support her family and her children’s education. Her eldest son, whose education was disrupted several times, recently took the State scholarship exams and did very well, which is not an easy feat. It just goes to show that sometimes people just need the right opportunity. Sivakumari is determined to provide her children with the opportunities she lacked in her life and we are happy to help her do that. Stories like this one are part of what lets us know that we are on the right track.