Dialog, ‘My Friend’ initiates SMS program to help underprivileged children

Thursday, 21 March 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

‘My Friend’ is a project that has silently lent a hand to help educate underprivileged children across Sri Lanka for many years. The endeavour recently collaborated with Dialog Axiata to launch a new SMS program, offering fashion and style tips for subscribers, with all proceeds generated being channelled to the ‘My Friend’ project.

The fashion updates, titled ‘FH Guide’, are the work of local men’s fashion designer and renowned fashion consultant Fouzul Hameed, who is also Hameedia Group Managing Director and My Friend project founder.

The project aims to be committed and help the underprivileged children from all communities of society on improving the standard of their education. “We encourage and support children to continue their studies even through difficult times and we have witnessed many success stories through the project,” Hameed said.

‘My Friend’ is purely a humanitarian effort that helps children from all walks of society to be educated, upright citizens. “My parents initiated this many years ago and I have been able to take this to the next level with the My Friend project and to date, we have helped many children of various backgrounds realise their dreams of a proper education,” Hameed added.

The project has guided many children from troubled backgrounds onto the right path and has helped them overcome obstacles that they may face on the course to achieving their goals. The project has also been instrumental in aiding sportsmen to reach the pinnacles of their sport and even join the national teams of their respective disciplines.

One of the other aims of the venture is to encourage idling youth to get involved in activities such as sports and various social groups that keeps them occupied and off the streets putting an end to many social problems in Sri Lanka caused by misguided youth.

Many My Friend projects are done in a way which makes children believe that a friend is actually helping them rather than making them feel that they are a part of a program. As the name suggests, ‘My Friend’ it is all about being there for the child when they need someone to lean on and help them make the best of their talents and abilities.

“A child needs to spend at least Rs. 70 for a decent breakfast and around Rs. 90 for lunch; these amounts are unaffordable to many households. The project is on the lookout for donors willing to offer food products, usable clothes, footwear and support to help these youngsters travel, find employment,” Hameed stressed.

Dialog users can subscribe to this service by typing ‘REG fhguide’ and send it to 770 00. The income from this and other avenues such as the sale of customised ‘My Friend’ merchandise and souvenirs, available at selected Hameedia outlets, are channelled towards different causes that will help children to achieve a suitable education and a better standard of life.