187th Anniversary Kandy Friend-In-Need Society

by E H M P Elkaduwa
Chairman – Board of Trustees
President – Kandy Friend In Need Society

The Kandy Friend-In-Need Society (KFINS), established in 1837, is one of the oldest social service organisations operational in Sri Lanka. It has been providing social welfare services over a period of almost two centuries. Due to the dedication, sacrifice and financial discipline of the members who have held responsible positions in the Society over this period, we now have fixed assets worth Rs. 1,000 million and financial assets worth about Rs. 60 million.

However, a matter of concern to the Board of Trustees at this juncture is how to ensure the sustainability and continuing of this organisation as well as its social welfare services ensuring credibility, safety and security. In this connection it would be pertinent to identify the important factors that have contributed to KFINS’s success over such a long period of time as a model social welfare service provider, winning the goodwill and confidence of the general public, who continuously offer Daana to the elders.

Relentless efforts of the membership, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the management council, excellent services rendered by the staff members are our strengths. Non consideration of ethno-religious differences and ensuring utmost transparent in financial assets management are other factors to our success. At present we are offering residential accommodation to 100 elders at Mulgampola Mapiya Sevana and 50 at Ampitiya.

To meet the demand of the middle income elders owing to the migration of their children, we have 30 rooms at Mulgampola and six cottages at Ampitiya. One of our outdoor activities is to look after elders in remote areas under ‘Adopt an Elder program’, our Foster Children’s Education, scholarship programme is providing 100 scholarships for rural area children, 100 students of plantation school children are provided with books and educational instruments and under the Prem Weerakoon scholarship scheme we provide scholarships to university students.

Our Society was founded in 1837 by the then British Governor of Ceylon, Sir James Alexander Mackenzie. A block of land at Mulgampola with an old factory building was donated to it by the British Planter, W H Pate. The Elders’ Home was officially inaugurated later by the British Governor at the time, Sir Andrew Caldecott.

The elders who are with us are mostly those neglected by their own families and others. We look after them as our own parents.