About Us

Ruzly Hussain, Chairman of Abdul Rahims, founded the Rotaract Movement in Sri Lanka in 1969 at the age of just 23. He went on to hold the posts of Rotaract President and District Governor for South India and Sri Lanka in 1971. He was appointed the President of the Rotary Club of Colombo, the oldest Rotary Club in Sri Lanka, in its Diamond Jubilee Year in 1988. Having started his business life in 1964, Ruzly has over 46 years of experience in the fields of Industry and Trading.

Why I am Involved with OrphanCare

I must give credit to Mr Osman Kassim, former Chairman of Amana Bank, for using his persuasive skills to bring me into OrphanCare. With his visionary track record of dreaming and bringing into reality the concept of Islamic Banking to Sri Lanka, together with the original conceptualists of OrphanCare  Mr. Mohamed Azmeer MD/CEO  of Amana Bank, I knew that their was an unbeatable combination of resolve, determination, and accomplishment. Hence, I felt honored to accept the position.

There was also an internationally accepted norm, which pleads from society and the community to consider orphans as special people that requires our attention not only for care giving but to nurture and bring up into adulthood as useful beings.  They, who will eventually contribute to the welfare and progress of their Community. The objectives of OrphanCare falls four square into this scheme of things. Hence, I am very happy and feel privileged to be associated with this project.

Mohamed Jazri Magdon Ismail, a financial consultant, was a Senior Director of Amãna Bank. Having previously held the positions of Secretary and Vice President of the Association of Accounting Technicians of Sri Lanka, he also served as President in an honorary capacity. He is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, a Member of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants, Australia, and has served on the boards of numerous publicly quoted companies. Jazri has authored a handbook on company secretarial practices and corporate law and all net proceeds of the sale of the book will be donated to the Orphan Care Trust. He was also an active member of the Lions Club.

Why I am Involved with OrphanCare

I am constrained to declare myself as an architect of a similar project with an orphanage which I embarked in 2014. Dedication with true passion and engagement for a cause I believe in is extremely fulfilling. It is willingness to stand behind things I believe in. OrphanCare is an excellent opportunity where I can be a positive force in the lives of orphans when I have the ability. Helping orphans has a special place in all religions and wish to quote proverbs of founders of religions.

“If you want to soften your heart , then feed the poor and pat the head of the orphan” 
“Do not withhold good from those who deserves it, when it is in your power to act”
“The Generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed”
“In gladness and in safety, may all beings be at ease”

 
 

Miss Shireen Watson is a Fellow Member of The Chartered Governance Institute UK formerly known as the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators – London. Her professional experience as a Chartered Secretary counts for over 30 years. She is currently the Company Secretary of Amana Bank PLC. Prior to joining Amãna Bank, she held the position of Head of Secretarial of Hemas Corporate Services (Pvt) Ltd, secretaries for the Hemas Group of Companies. She also held the position of Company Secretary of a Finance Company and its subsidiaries and has gathered extensive knowledge and experience in handling both the registrars and secretarial functions of listed entities and private /public companies of two conglomerates over the years. In addition, Miss Shireen has an exposure to people management by having an oversight on the Human Resource function of a Finance Company with over 30 Branches Island wide. Miss Shireen was invited by the Institute of Chartered Corporate Secretaries in Sri Lanka to share her knowledge and experience in Company Secretarial Practice with the students of the Institute by lecturing for the Intermediate Level and Professional level.

Osman Kassim, Founder Chairman (Retired) of Amãna Bank, is a personality well-versed in Islamic banking and finance and was instrumental in introducing the non-interest based participatory banking concept to Sri Lanka. He has been involved in charitable works through his family-founded charity establishment,  The Goodness Foundation, which, among its several activities, awards scholarships, grants, bursaries, and other facilities to needy students. Osman is the Founder Chairman of the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology, where he has contributed to the country’s educational welfare. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Staffordshire University, United Kingdom, in recognition of his achievements as a global entrepreneur and visionary educationist.

K.R. Ravindran, founder and CEO of Printcare PLC, has been a Rotarian since 1974 and has served as President, Director, and Treasurer of Rotary International and as Trustee of The Rotary Foundation. As Sri Lanka’s chair of Rotary’s polio eradication campaign, he spearheaded efforts to negotiate ceasefire arrangements so that vaccinations could be conducted in the north and east of Sri Lanka in the midst of civil war. After the devastation of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, he led Rotary’s recovery efforts by helping to raise US$12 million to rebuild 22 schools catering to 15,000 children around the country. Currently, Ravindran is playing a leading role in Rotary’s Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Centre and Programme, which aims to make Sri Lanka the first country in the world to become cervical cancer free by 2025. He is a recipient of The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service, Distinguished Service Award, and the Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

Tyeab Akbarally the Managing Director of Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Limited, the leading tea export company in Sri Lanka, and its subsidiaries. He is also the Chairman of Amana Takaful Maldives Ltd. He has served as a member of the Executive Committee and as a Committee Member at the National Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. He is a past Chairman of the Spice and Allied Products Traders’ Association and the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association. He has considerable experience in the import and export trade and has strong business relationships with Middle Eastern countries.

Why I am Involved with OrphanCare

Our objective is to provide these young adults with the opportunity to know what it is like to grow in a nurturing environment with mentorship and guidance which is essential to their growth into adulthood. This will enable them to become productive, healthy adults, capable of making important life decisions and not just another statistic on the streets. It is about changing lives and making a difference.

Sharad Amalean is a co-founder and Deputy Chairman of MAS Holdings, one of the world’s most recognised design-to-delivery solution providers in apparel and textile manufacturing. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Joint Apparel Association Forum, which pioneered the initiative ‘Garments without Guilt’ to inculcate fair labor practices and safe working conditions throughout the Sri Lankan apparel industry. 

As a strong advocate of sustainability, he has been a driving force behind many of the social and environmental programmes carried out by MAS. Major initiatives launched under his guidance include an aerial reforestation project in conjunction with the Sri Lanka Air Force, a drinking water purification project in Hanwella which resulted in the cleaning of 128 wells, and project that restored 11 lakes in Yala National Park. MAS came up with the ocean strainer which prevents garbage from entering the sea through canals and the design and fabrication details of the strainer were made public in order to enable others with the intent to do the same in order to protect the environment. Sharad was also instrumental in driving the organizational initiative of reforesting upto 10 times the land extent used for MAS facilities and this project continues to gain momentum across Sri Lanka and overseas.
 
Sharad is a member of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival & Poverty Eradication which strives to ensure the well-being of those effected most adversely by the economic crisis as well as the safeguarding of industries in order to safeguard livelihoods of those in the labour force and institutions that drive the economy.

Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, is a leading luminary in the legal profession in Sri Lanka having a wide practice in the Original Courts as well as in the Appellate Courts.  His fields of expertise include Commercial Law, Business Law, Securities Law, Banking Law, and Intellectual Property Law.

He also serves as Chairman of several listed companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange including Sampath Bank PLC, CIC Holdings PLC, Vallibel One PLC, Royal Ceramics Lanka PLC, Swisstek Ceylon PLC, Vallibel Power Erathna PLC.  He is also the Chairman of CIC Agri Businesses (Private) Ltd and Swisstek Aluminium Ltd.
 
Mr Amarasekera is also an Independent Non-Executive Director of Expolanka Holdings PLC, Ambeon Capital PLC and Hayleys Leisure PLC.  He is also a Founder Director of Amana Bank PLC (Retired).

A well-known figure in the Sri Lankan business community, Tilak de Zoysa, also known for his humanitarian work, is the Chairman of HelpAge, Sri Lanka’s leading NGO supporting disadvantaged senior citizens. Being the Global Ambassador and Past Chairman of HelpAge International (UK) and in recognition of his services to the country through various philanthropic and meritorious projects, Tilak de Zoysa was conferred the title of Deshabandu by His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka. He is also the recipient of “The Order of the Rising Sun - Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” conferred by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. Tilak was also recognized by LMD in their Lifetime Achievers Award for 2017. Tilak currently is the Chairman of Carsons Cumberbatch PLC, Associated CEAT (Pvt) Ltd, Amaya Hotels and Resorts USA (Radisson), Jetwing Zinc Journey Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Trinity Steel (Pvt) Ltd, CG Corp Global Sri Lanka and Sasakawa Memorial Sri Lanka Japan Cultural Centre Trust. He is currently an Advisor to the Al- Futtaim Group of Companies in Sri Lanka, who are the principles of AMW, in which Tilak chairs the Supervisory Board. He is also the Vice Chairman of CEAT Kelani Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, Orient Insurance Ltd, and serves on the Boards of several listed and private Companies which include Tal Lanka Hotels PLC (Taj), Tal Hotels and Resorts Ltd, Nawaloka Hospitals PLC, Associated Electrical Corporation Ltd, INOAC Polymer Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Cinnovation INC, and Varun Beverages Lanka (Pvt) Ltd (Pepsi). Tilak de Zoysa was the Past President of the Colombo YMBA and past Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka. He also served as a Member of the Monetary Board of Sri Lanka from 2003 to 2009.

Why I am Involved with OrphanCare

Having served the under privileged elderly citizens of our Country, for over two decades or more, as the Chairman of Helpage Sri Lanka, it was indeed a privilege for me to be invited as a Trustee of the highly respected 'Orphan Care Trust' by  the Chairman Ruzly Hussain. I now, eagerly look forward to playing a new role, which is, to improve the education and the quality of life of the underprivileged orphans of Sri Lanka, together with the dedicated 'Orphan Care Trust'.

Mohamed Azmeer is the MD/CEO of Amana Bank PLC.  Azmeer has an illustrious career, both locally and internationally, which spans over four decades. Having commenced his banking career with Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Azmeer’s leadership progression excelled through his overseas experience, primarily at Citi Bank, UAE. During such tenure, he also served as a member of the global review team, with assignments in Europe, Africa and Asia. At the culmination of his career at Citi Bank he held the position of Vice President – Risk for UAE and Oman. In the field of Islamic banking, Azmeer’s track record involved holding senior positions at Al-Rajhi Bank Saudi Arabia, which is the largest Islamic Bank in the world, and Sharjah Islamic Bank, where he was an Executive Vice President. Azmeer’s social engagement activities include serving as the President of the Rotaract Club of Kandy. He continued his dedicated social service while overseas spearheading various initiatives. He is also involved with many other charities focused on developing education amongst the needy.