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 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 Alhasan Foundation, which, among its several activities, awards scholarships, grants, bursaries, and other facilities to needy students. Osman is also the 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 is a senior Director of Akbar Brothers (Pvt) Limited, the leading tea export company in Sri Lanka, and its subsidiaries. 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. Tyeab is Deputy Chairman of Amãna Bank and holds directorships in several other publicly quoted companies.

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, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 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, a project that restored 11 lakes in Yala National Park, and a project in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Conservation of Sri Lanka to remove invasive Ulex plants from the Horton Plains National Park. Among Sharad’s notable philanthropic activities is the Little Hearts Project, which aims to expedite the construction of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital’s Cardiac and Critical Care Complex.

Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, is a prominent lawyer in Sri Lanka specializing in Commercial Law, Business Law, Securities Law, Banking Law, and Intellectual Property Law. He also serves as an Independent Director in several leading listed companies in the Colombo Stock Exchange including Amãna Bank PLC (Retired Founder Director), CIC Holdings PLC (Chairman), Sampath Bank (Chairman), Vallibel One PLC, Royal Ceramics Lanka PLC, Expolanka Holdings PLC, Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC, Ambeon Capital PLC, Amaya Leisure PLC, and Vallibel Power Erathna PLC. He is also the Chairman of CIC Agri Business (Private) Limited, Swisstek (Ceylon) PLC & Swisstek Aluminium Limited.

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, MD/CEO of Amãna Bank, is a seasoned banker with a career spanning over 30 years holding senior positions at leading financial institutions globally, including CitiBank, Al Rajhi Bank (world’s largest Islamic bank) and Sharjah Islamic Bank (the first Islamic bank to fully convert its operations from being a conventional entity). Azmeer served on the Board of Lanka Clear, the national payment and clearing association of Sri Lanka, and was the Chairman of the Financial Ombudsman Sri Lanka (Guarantee) Ltd. and also sat on the Board of the Sri Lanka Bankers’ Association. Azmeer’s social engagement activities include serving as the President of the Rotaract Club of Kandy. He continued his dedicated social service while overseas when he spearheaded an initiative to collect and donate a large number of wheelchairs, crutches and hospital beds via the Denzil Kobbekaduwa Foundation to benefit the injured after a military campaign in Sri Lanka’s three-decade-long civil war. Azmeer is also involved with many other charities focused on developing education amongst the needy.