The story behind the Gnanam Foundation begins with a teenage refugee fleeing Sri Lanka’s civil war. Allirajah Subaskaran left his homeland during the ethnic conflict of the 1980s, eventually building one of Europe’s largest telecommunications companies. Today, as Chairman of Lyca Mobile, he channels that business success back into Sri Lankan communities through meaningful development work.
The Gnanam Foundation, established in 2010 and named after his mother Gnanambikai, operates on a simple principle: communities need sustainable solutions, not temporary fixes. This approach comes from lived experience – understanding what it means to lose everything and rebuild from nothing.
What started as one family’s escape from conflict has grown into comprehensive community support across Sri Lanka, focusing on the areas hit hardest by decades of war.
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Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009, but the recovery continues. Northern and Eastern provinces still deal with the aftermath – families displaced for years, communities without proper housing, schools that need rebuilding, and healthcare systems stretched thin.
The foundation tackles these interconnected problems by focusing on what communities actually need: permanent housing that lets families put down roots, educational support that gives children real opportunities, and healthcare access that doesn’t disappear when external funding runs out.
This isn’t about quick fixes or photo opportunities. It’s about understanding that post-conflict recovery takes time and sustained commitment to work.
One of the foundation’s major projects addressed housing for internally displaced people in Vavuniya district. Families had spent years in welfare camps after the war ended, waiting for permanent solutions that would let them restart their lives properly.
The Poonthoddam housing initiative provided more than just shelter. When families have stable homes, children can attend school consistently, adults can pursue work opportunities, and communities can begin the slow process of healing and growth.
The founder’s own experience as a refugee shaped this focus on permanent solutions. Temporary camps might meet immediate needs, but they don’t give families the stability required to rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.
War disrupts education for entire generations. The foundation’s educational work focuses on improving primary school environments and supporting access to quality learning opportunities in communities recovering from conflict.
Educational projects recognize a basic truth: when children miss years of schooling due to displacement or conflict, it affects not just their individual futures but the entire community’s capacity for development. Supporting educational infrastructure helps communities develop the human capital they need for long-term recovery.
The approach emphasizes sustainability – building improvements and providing resources that schools can maintain independently rather than creating ongoing dependency on external support.
Healthcare infrastructure suffered significant damage during Sri Lanka’s conflict, leaving many communities without adequate medical services. The foundation’s healthcare initiatives focus on both immediate health needs and building local capacity for long-term care.
Prema Subaskaran, who leads LycaHealth as Chairperson, brings medical expertise to these healthcare development projects. Her background in biomedical sciences helps inform the foundation’s approach to community health support that actually serves people’s needs.
Healthcare projects include supporting medical facilities, providing necessary equipment, and enabling training for healthcare providers – creating systems that communities can operate and maintain themselves.
Access to clean water remains a fundamental challenge in many post-conflict areas. The foundation’s water projects provide sustainable access through well construction and water system development, both in Sri Lanka and internationally.
Partnership work includes well construction in Sudan through Muslim Aid, demonstrating the foundation’s commitment to addressing water access challenges globally while maintaining special focus on Sri Lankan community needs.
These infrastructure projects emphasize community ownership, ensuring that people can maintain and operate water systems themselves rather than depending on outside organizations for basic water access.
Beyond long-term development work, the foundation maintains capacity for emergency response when natural disasters or humanitarian crises hit Sri Lankan or international communities. This includes working with established relief organizations and providing direct assistance for community recovery efforts.
Emergency response reflects understanding that disasters can quickly wipe out development progress if communities don’t get appropriate support when they need it most.
The foundation’s ability to make real community impact comes from the success of Lyca Mobile, which serves over 16 million customers across 18 countries. This commercial success provides stable funding for development projects and community support.
This approach shows how business success can translate into sustained philanthropy that addresses community needs comprehensively rather than sporadic charitable giving. The foundation operates as an integral part of overall business philosophy, not just a separate charitable activity.
Financial independence also means the foundation can maintain long-term commitment to development projects without worrying about external funding sources that might influence priorities or threaten sustainability.
While focusing strongly on Sri Lankan development, the Gnanam Foundation works internationally on displacement and development challenges that mirror Sri Lanka’s experiences. Projects span multiple continents, supporting communities affected by conflict, natural disasters, and economic challenges.
International work includes library development in Nigeria through the Damilola Taylor Trust, emergency relief including a £59,000 donation to Save the Children for Ebola response, and various community development initiatives addressing displacement and marginalization worldwide.
This global reach reflects recognition that displacement, conflict, and development challenges create similar needs regardless of geography. Experience with Sri Lankan conflict and recovery provides valuable perspective for supporting communities worldwide facing comparable situations.
Sports investments complement foundation work through ownership of the Jaffna Kings in Sri Lanka’s Premier League Tournament. The team’s 2021 tournament victory provided positive recognition for Northern Sri Lanka and helped rebuild community pride in areas hit hardest by conflict.
These connections go beyond business investment – they represent sustained commitment to Sri Lankan community development through multiple channels, supporting both immediate development needs and longer-term community morale and cultural preservation.
The Jaffna Kings connection particularly resonates with Northern Province communities that experienced the heaviest conflict impacts, showing ongoing commitment to these areas’ recovery and growth.
The foundation’s work represents a broader model for how Sri Lankan diaspora communities can contribute meaningfully to homeland development while building successful lives abroad. The journey from refugee to international business leader demonstrates potential for diaspora contribution that goes far beyond individual charity.
This approach creates systematic community development programs that address root causes of displacement and underdevelopment rather than just providing temporary relief. The foundation shows how personal experience of hardship can motivate sustained commitment to community service.
The model demonstrates that business success and community service can reinforce each other, creating sustainable philanthropy that addresses real needs while honoring origins and maintaining cultural connections across borders.
The Gnanam Foundation’s ongoing work reflects commitment to long-term Sri Lankan community development that extends well beyond immediate post-conflict recovery needs. Future projects focus on community empowerment that enables independent development and economic growth.
This vision emphasizes building community capacity rather than creating dependency, ensuring that development investments create lasting change that communities can maintain and expand on their own. The approach aligns with Sri Lanka’s broader development needs as the country continues recovering from conflict impacts.
The combination of business success through Lyca Mobile and sustained community service through the foundation provides a practical model for how diaspora success can translate into meaningful homeland support while maintaining successful international careers and businesses.
The work demonstrates that with sustained commitment and appropriate resources, communities can recover from even severe conflict and displacement – but only when support addresses real needs and builds genuine capacity for independent growth.
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