Ariya Turns One

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

Our baby girl Ariya is turning ONE!

This past year Ariya has been blessed with many toys and clothes… but most of all your love! To celebrate her 1st birthday we would love to offer what we can to empower our people in Sri Lanka with the gift of livelihood! To do this we would like you to make a donation to Palmera instead of buying Ariya a gift.

The project we have chosen for Ariya’s birthday is Connecting to Markets. This project will help build thriving business farms in the village of Kanthansamy Nagar. In this village building a thriving farm costs as little as $349 per farmer; which is only $78 a year over the 5-year programme. Each of the 105 farmer will learn how to compete and be successful within the farming marketplace and the skills they learn will help them break down barriers that keep them excluded.

We thank you for your donation to Ariya’s birthday and for helping us help Palmera create a world where no one is left out.

Liam’s 1st Birthday

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

On the 15th February 2017, Liam Arihan, a little tornado of energy entered our lives. It has been an amazing 12 months seeing our little cheeky monkey grow up. We have seen him develop into a determined person, who loves exploring, climbing and mingling with everyone around him.

Liam’s endearing personality and zest for life is contagious. He has taught us to be humble and appreciate the simple things in life. Liam loves to take his time to carefully examine anything new. Everyday is a new surprise (for us too!).

We are very grateful for the happiness and love this little person brings into our lives and those around him. We are truly blessed to be his parents.

We wanted to mark Liam’s first year celebrations by asking you in lieu of gifts, to make a donation to Palmera’s Passing The Gift project. This project will provide training and support for 48 women to grow their dairy business. This is an amazing project that builds sustainable rural agricultural businesses for women in Sri Lanka’s North while strengthening communities through a values-based approach.

We thank you for all your love and support that you have shown Liam and hope that you continue to guide him along his journey in life.

With lots of love,

Kanthan and Caroline

Himyni’s 1st Birthday

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

We have been blessed with a beautiful baby daughter, Himyni. We wanted to celebrate her first big milestone turning one with all of our family and friends.

We knew that our family and friends wanted to mark her special occasion in a memorable way. So instead of toys and clothing we asked for family and friends to donate towards Palmera’s livelihood projects.

Himyni is privileged to have been born into a country where all her needs and wants are accessible and within easy reach. We want to be able to teach her from a young age that if you are fortunate enough to have all your needs met  to look for ways to assist others who are not in the same position.

We admire the tireless work that Palmera has done in Sri Lanka and we were especially drawn towards the village livelihood projects which will have long term impacts for many people. As a family we hope to continue to follow the great work of Palmera and one day take Himyni to Sri Lanka to see the progress.

Seynthan’s 30th

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

I feel very lucky and grateful to have grown up in Australia for the most part of my life even though I was born in Sri Lanka. Over that time, I have somewhat lost touch with my roots without even being aware of its importance. With the love and help of some great people in my life, I have slowly but surely come to realise the value of the roots and culture of Sri Lanka. So, over the last few months I’ve made some goals to go back to visit this year and to also do volunteer work in the future.

As I reach my 30th year of life, I feel that supporting Palmera’s Youth Vets project would be a wonderful way to build momentum on this path back to my roots. Palmera is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that implements livelihood projects in rural and vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka. This project aims to assist dairy farmers based in the area of Sri Lanka with the lowest annual milk production rate, by training community vets.

As you all know, I am planning to have a simple but swell birthday catch-up and would love if you could generously donate to this cause instead of bringing gifts. See you soon!

Much Love,

Seynthan

Vyhari’s 21st Birthday

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

I am from Sydney but am currently studying Dentistry at James Cook University in Cairns. I am absolutely delighted to be celebrating my 21st birthday with my family and friends in April.

I am one of the privileged few, and need nothing more in my life than all your love. However, the same cannot be said about many others around the world. So in place of a birthday gift, I’m kindly inviting you to make a donation to Palmera Projects instead. Palmera is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that implements livelihood projects in rural and vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka.

I’m very excited for the funds to be going to The Water for Life Project! Palmera are working to restore 10 common wells that were damaged by war. This will directly impact 48 families by giving them access to clean drinking water as well as for their farming needs so as to re-establish their livelihoods. Access to clean water will help improve their production so that they can stand on their own two feet in the near-distant future.

Please give what you can to support this amazing project!

Our Mothers’ Eyes

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

Next month marks a decade since the end of the brutal civil war that raged in Sri Lanka. Twenty-five years of fighting took a huge toll on the country and its people. We remember all too well the suffering, the loss, and the gruelling process of rebuilding.

To mark this anniversary, we’re hosting Our Mothers’ Eyes. It’s a photo exhibition. It’s a dinner. It’s an opportunity to connect and remember.

But it’s also a celebration.

It’s a celebration of the journey of peace that Sri Lanka has been on for the past ten years. It’s a celebration of Sri Lankan women and their stories. And it’s a celebration of the work that Palmera has been able to do – and will continue to do – thanks to your support.

We’d love you to join us on 11 May for dinner, drinks, and live music. Together, we will remember the past and celebrate the future.

Maya’s Three Red Hands

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

Some people just don’t get along. When a curious assortment of hotel guests are brought together, an amusing mix of witty banter, low blows and shady behaviour evolves. When one of them is mysteriously murdered, however, suddenly it’s no longer just about having the last laugh. Join the less-than-motivated police department in making sense of the chaos. Is the murderer the only culprit?

Tickets OUT NOW! Saturday SOLD OUT

Dates: 27th April

Time: 8:00pm

Venue: NIDA Parade Theatre

Contact a member of MAYA Youth in Performing Arts to purchase yours or go through Ticketek

Fiona and Hari’s wedding

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

Fiona and I are getting married on the 8 September 2017. We have been planning the wedding festivities for over a year and are very excited for the upcoming events

We have been thinking about doing something special to celebrate our union and the union of our families.

We decided instead of having favours at our wedding for our guests we would do something they would remember and something that would make a difference to others, we would donate money on our guests behalf to Palmera.

I’ve always been a big fan of Palmera and the cause since 2009, when I did the Human Race.  It was heaps of fun and such a clever idea to raise money! So whenever charities come to mind, the first I think of is Palmera. I am also a big advocate for humanitarian issues, and knowing how it has affected families around us, I want to make a change.

We chose the Milking It to Change Lives project because we believe in animal welfare, and agriculture is a very sensitive issue to deal with in regards to animals. The animals deserve to be treated with respect – something that isn’t done very well at all, especially in first-world countries. The fresh start the farmers of the North have is a great opportunity to educate the farmers to ensure that the animals and humans can work together and provide for each other, rather than one hurting the other to get what they want.

We hope our drop in the ocean inspires others to donate further. Together we can all make a more significant change.

Kooththu Tamil Kids Fair

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

This year, Ammas and Kutties (a Tamil mothers group in Sydney) will be holding our inaugural event, Kooththu, a children’s fair. Our purpose is to foster a strong sense of identity and social responsibility amongst children of second generation Tamil mothers (and their families!). All proceeds will go to Palmera and we’d love this event to kick start the next generation of philanthropists in our community!

We will have lots of fun activities for the kids, both indoor and outdoor.There will be a tamil kids book launch, Tamil food  and sweet stalls, interactive dance performances, panel discussions for parents and much more… All kids will also receive a goodie bag on arrival.

And for everyone who books their ticket before the 14th of November will go into the draw to win this amazing book gift pack valued at over $140. Book your tickets here to go in the draw today!

We love the work Palmera does to support women just like us. We know it’s just by some twist of fate that we’ve ended up in such a privileged situation and feel it’s our duty to something to support those less fortunate than us, and be great role models for our kids (kutties!) too.

All funds raised will be donated to the Creating Leaders project, we chose this project as its a children’s based project and being amma’s this project spoke to us. The project will provide critical life and employment skills for youth transitioning from school to employment.

Saratha’s 70th Birthday

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

On December 23rd I will be celebrating my birthday. I am blessed with everything I need in my life including my beautiful family and friends. As I celebrate this milestone I’d like instead share with one of my favourite charity organisations Palmera.

Palmera is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses mainly on helping people in Sri Lanka who have been displaced due to the civil war. They help provide resources to those less fortunate which in turn enable them to be self-sufficient and financially independent.

I have been a long time supporter and volunteer for Palmera and really value and appreciate the work they do. I chose the Graduating the Poor project to support as it helps the poorest of the poor in Sri Lanka’s North. The project will identify the poorest families and start them on their journey to graduate from being poor.

Thank you for supporting this project and Palmera’s work. I look forward to celebrating with you all soon

Lots of Love,

Saratha

Bobby’s 70th

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

On December 6th , our Appah will be turning 70. It was important for him to celebrate with his family and friends.

What Appah needs, he already has, so he thought that you can celebrate with him by giving to Palmera because you’ve already given him what he needs this year – your blessings and love.

Appah’s birthday will support Palmera’s Connecting to Markets project. This project will help build thriving business farms in the village of Kanthansamy Nagar. In this village building a thriving farm costs as little as $349 per farmer; which is only $78 a year over the 5-year programme. Each of the 105 farmer will learn how to compete and be successful within the farming marketplace and the skills they learn will help them break down barriers that keep them excluded.

Thank you for everything

Love,

Sankeeta (Sangi) and Senthur

Yin and Yang Yoga with a purpose

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

I’m Shivani, a passionate yoga teacher and student. Getting to see people benefit from yoga, both mentally and physically is why I love teaching. To take this passion further, onNovember 13th will be doing a class at the Living Room Yoga Coogee where all the proceeds will go to helping war affected women to stand on their own two feet again.

INTRODUCING YIN AND YANG YOGA

On November 13th, we will be going through a 1 hour open level yin and yang class. The class is open to anyone from beginner’s through to those that have practiced for some time. Both yin and yang co-exist together, and in the world of yoga when practiced together will benefit both the muscular and the deep connective tissues of the body. Yin poses are held for a longer time, and allow the tissues of the body to get a nice stretch. The yang poses are more dynamic, creating heat and can be felt within the muscles of the body. Check out this site for a little more info on Yin and Yang (https://yoga.com/article/balance-yin-yoga-and-yang-yoga)

The Class: All the details you need to know

Location:

Living Room Yoga Coogee (Level 1/62 Carr St, Coogee NSW 2034)

Small intimate classes are great to feel the energy being generated. Max of 25 students, so please book in early. We’ll also have a view of the beach, so great place to move and feel like you are not in the busy hub of Sydney!

Time:
Starts at 12:30pm. Please be there 15 minutes early!

Cost:
This is a donation based class, with a suggested donation of $15-$20. Of course you are more than welcome to donate more!

HOW YOU WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

Being married to a French man, in recent years I’ve gained a new appreciation for food, especially food home grown by small scale farmers. But unfortunately these farmers have to compete with larger firms and in countries like Sri Lanka, rural farmers are cut off from knowledge, skills and market access.

I’ve never been one to understand the business side of things, but what I do know is that when given the right tools, the small companies can also make their positive mark on society which is why I was immediately drawn to this project. You can check out more about the project here