Page 11 - TEF ANNUAL REPORT 2020

Message from Youth Charity Network

The Youth Charity Network (YCN) is a group of passionate and committed young professionals, working
together to help those in our local and global communities who are less fortunate. The committee was
formed at the ‘Empower Young Professionals in Humanitarian Work’ workshop held on 17th November
2019, and several meaningful and well targeted project ideas were brainstormed by the 30+ attendees.
At this event three groups were formed, to create and implement projects in three major categories; local
(within Australia), Sri-Lanka and international.

In the first year of inception, the YCN has decided to start with local projects focusing on providing
interconnectedness and support to the most vulnerable in our society. In April 2020, a donation of $1500
+ 50kg of rice + 20kg of dahl was donated to ‘Turbans 4 Australia’ to help them in their efforts to provide
cooked meals and groceries to elderly and homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Realising
that social distancing and home isolation affects the vulnerable groups in society dearly, we have reached
out and offered our assistance to several local organisations to help with food delivery and access.
Furthermore, with a keen interest to contribute to projects in Sri Lanka, YCN has also partnered with
Rotary Club Australia to deliver the Chettikulam Hospital Project in Northern Province and Scholarship
program in Nuwarya Eliya.

We are particularly grateful for the tireless support and guidance from Suganthini Aunty (ECF), Manoharan
Uncle (ECF) and Haran Uncle (Rotary) in helping us shape the work of YCN. In 2021 we look forward to
making more meaningful contributions. In particular we hope to collaborate with senior citizen societies and
local nursing homes to encourage the use of technology to foster interconnectedness and independence.
Stay safe, connected and mindful of those around you.
Thiveya Theivendran
On behalf of Youth Charity Network
(Kobika Manimaaran, Thibagar Theivendran, Nithya Niranjan, Ravi Dissanayake,
Janarthan Kumarakuruparan, Harisha Kogulan & Gana Aruneswaran)