Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation has donated £59,000 to Save the Children in support of its work to help the victims of the Ebola crisis in West Africa.
The money donated will help to provide the equipment and supplies needed to run Ebola treatment centres, where patients confirmed to have contracted Ebola are isolated for the duration of their illness. The aim of these centres is to provide more rapid, scalable clinics for isolating and treating patients with suspected Ebola.
Lyca's Gnanam Foundation donates £59k to fight Ebola
Lycamobile's Group Chairman - Subaskaran Allirajah (2nd left) presents cheque to Save the Children's Head of New Business - Helen Mackenzie in the company of Lycamobile's Group General Counsel - Mohammed Malique (far Left); Lycamobile's Group Deputy Chairman - Prem Sivasamy (4th from left) and Lycamobile's Group Marketing Director - Chris Liveing (far right).
Save the Children has been on the ground in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia since the crisis began and is working with partners, such as Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation, to support children and raise awareness of how to prevent infection and stop the disease spreading.
The donation will fund specialist beds for the centre, mosquito nets and medical equipment including oral rehydration fluids, IV drips, drugs and antibiotics to treat the symptoms.
The endowment will also help to provide vital hygiene kits designed to protect health workers from contracting the virus. These contain chlorine, rain boots, rain coats, gloves, mops, gloves, soap and hand washing kits essential for stopping the spread of the disease.
Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation first and foremost endeavours to provide opportunities and skills for marginalised people, improve their quality of life and increase their household income. Through education schemes, medical assistance and livelihood support, Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation is committed to helping people achieve a reasonable quality of life. To date the foundation has committed almost £15 million in relief programmes across Sri Lanka, India, Sudan and Nigeria.
Douglas Rouse, Corporate Partnerships Director at Save the Children, said: “There is an urgent demand for treatment beds and nurses to halt the rapid spread of Ebola across West Africa. We’re extremely grateful for Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation's generous donation to our Ebola response crisis appeal - the money will help us to continue our life-saving work in West Africa.”
Subaskaran Allirajah, Group Chairman of Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation, commented:
“The world has seen this terrible disease claim the lives of many across West Africa. Save the Children is a fantastic organisation which is working hard to treat patients and prevent new infections. We are pleased to be able to lend support to their cause and at such a critical time for the children of West Africa.”
Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation was founded by Subaskaran Allirajah, the chairman of Lycamobile, and his mother Gnanambikai Allirajah in 2010.
Founders of Gnanam Foundation - Lycamobile Chairman - Subaskaran Allirajah and his mother, Gnanambikai Allirajah
The foundation’s vision is a world where all have the skills and opportunities to earn a living and support their families, for a reasonable quality of life. Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation’s charitable objective is to provide opportunities and skills for marginalised people, to improve their quality of life and to increase their household income. The foundation currently operates in Sri Lanka, India, Sudan, Tanzania, Romania, Pakistan and the Philippines. The foundation runs programmes focused on livelihood and education as well as responding to emergency appeals. Lyca’s Gnanam Foundation has ambitious plans to grow globally throughout 2014.
Save the Children works in more than 120 countries and more information is available at www.savethechildren.org.uk