About Us
Est. 2016
The Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to uplift communities by providing Healthcare, Education, and Social Care facilities completely free of charge.
In an island where there is a constant need for basic healthcare, education and women empowerment, we believe in the importance of remembering that we are all human and that basic needs for care and love is everyone’s responsibility.
The Beginning
Founded in 2016 with eminent personalities such as Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Sri Ravi Jayewardene and Penny Jayewardene and General Rohan Daluwatte at the helm, the Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation strives to uplift the community by providing free Healthcare, Education and Social Care to the needy and marginalized families.
The mission took root in the sandy soil of Batticaloa; an area that has endured decades of civil war and a devastating tsunami. A 56-acre land donated to the Foundation is home to the Sri Sathya Sai Karunalayam Medical Centre; built in a record 07 months, and the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Super Specialty Hospital; the very first Paediatric Cardiac Hospital in the East of Sri Lanka.
Our Inspiration
In a tiny hamlet in the village of Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, Sathyanarayana Raju was born to Easwaramma and Pedda Venkappa Raju.
His birth had been predicted as one that would bring forth a redeemer and many strange events have been documented surrounding it. With His birth, the era of Love and Selfless Service began and it is undisputed that His teachings of pure love was expressed as selfless service for the upliftment of humanity.
To His devotees and thousands of students, both male and female who have studied in His institutions and graduated out of His universities, whose lives He had touched as a Spiritual Master, He was and is a living God.
On 20th October 1940 at 14 years of age, He threw down His schoolbooks and declared “I am no longer your Sathya, I AM SAI. I am going; I no longer belong to you; Maya has gone; My devotees are calling Me; My work is waiting.”
For nearly seventy years He built free hospitals, free schools and colleges, provided drinking water to millions of people and united people across the globe. Today His legacy of selfless service lives on in over forty countries where His devotees have taken up His message to love all and serve all.
Inspired by His teachings, under the selfless leadership of Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, the Sri Sathya Sai Karuna Nilayam Foundation has embarked on its service projects in the village of Kirankulam in the Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka from 2016, providing all services free of charge to all recipients.
There is a possibility that one could list in numbers the ashrams, educational institutions, hospitals and water projects that serve millions today totally free of cost. We could also count numerous service activities of Sai Organisations that have brought and continue to bring relief during natural disasters, not only in India but worldwide.
However, it would be impossible to even begin to record the personal interactions through healings, visits and miracles experienced by devotees all over the world that has resulted in the personal transformation that makes simple ordinary human lives reflect the actions of their Beloved Spiritual Master. Suffice it to say that Sri Sathya Sai Baba has and will be for centuries to come, an unprecedented field of merit for the world.
“It is the power of love that makes the earth revolve without the support of any axle.
It is the power of love that holds the stars in their positions without falling down.
It is the power of love that withholds the oceans from submerging the earth.
It is the power of love that makes the wind blow over the seven worlds.
This sacred love is eternal, most amazing and invisible.
That love is the life breath of man.”
The Board
Deepal Wickremasinghe
Chairman
Chairman of the Foundation Mr Deepal Wickremasinghe is a visionary in Sri Lanka’s engineering sector. He is also the Chairman of Ruhunu Hospital in Galle, and Managing Director of Deepal Wickremasinghe Associates (DWA), a leading engineering consultancy firm.
B N Narasimha Murthy
Trustee
Mr B N Narasimha Murthy has served as the Warden of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning at its Brindavan and Puttaparthi Campuses and is presently a Trustee of the Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust. He also served as the Chancellor of the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence till May 2025.
C Sreenivas
Trustee
Mr C Sreenivas serves as the Chairman of Sri Sathya Sai Health and Education Trust in India. A dynamic social worker, he has been instrumental in setting up the Super Speciality Hospitals in Puttaparthi, Bangalore and the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospitals in Raipur, Delhi, Bombay, Nigeria, Fiji and Sri Lanka.
Issac Tigrett
Trustee
Heading Sai Prakashana; the Media and Publications sector in Muddenahalli, India, is Mr Issac Tigrett. An instrumental figure in building the first Super Speciality Hospital in Puttaparthi in 1991, he is also the pioneering mind behind Hard Rock Cafe and House of Blues in USA.
T Sutharshanom
Trustee
An influential financial and business expert, Mr Sutharshanom has contributed to a host of welfare projects to uplift the lives of people in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. A native of Batticaloa, he is joined by his family in his many charitable causes and is a key figure in the mission in Sri Lanka.
Nishantha Dissanayake
Trustee
Mr Nishantha Dissanayake is a businessman and the Managing Director of Global Colour Coatings Pvt (Ltd), who has been a part of the Sri Lankan mission since its inception. He directs the Foundation's operational and administrative frameworks, overseeing everything from facility development to complex government relations.
Gary Seaton
Trustee
Mr Gary Seaton is the Chairman of G&G Group of Companies. He is also the Director of Energreen Nutrition & Bioenergy Plantations, functions as a part of the Investment Committee of Global Clean Energy Fund and presides over several social and environmental organizations.
Disna Lokugalappaththi
Trustee
Mrs Disna Lokugalappaththi is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) since 2004. She has over 20 years of experience in accounting and financing in the commercial and non-commercial sectors.
Shamalie Gunawardena
Trustee
Attorney at Law Mrs Shamalie Gunawardena is a Joint Managing Partner of Capital City Law-Colombo, and Senior Consultant Senior Legal Advisor at the Port City. She was called to the Bar in 1985 and is a member of the board of several notable companies in Sri Lanka.
Aravinda De Silva
Trustee
Mr Aravinda De Silva is a legendary cricketer with an international career spanning over two decades and is best known for his pivotal role in winning the Cricket World Cup for Sri Lanka in 1996. He currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of Ideal Group of Companies.
Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe
Trustee
Mrs Dilrukshi Dias Wickremasinghe was the former Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption in Sri Lanka and has served as a Judge of the High Court of the Republic of Fiji. She was also the Chief Legal Officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and a visiting lecturer in several international universities.
Penny Jayewardene
Chief Mentor
Mrs Penny Jayewardene, along with her late husband Mr Ravi Jayewardene have contributed to welfare and service activities in Sri Lanka for over four decades. She serves as the Chief Mentor of the Foundation. Her influence is most felt in the fields of healthcare, education, and disaster relief.
Karu Jayasuriya
Patron
Patron of the Foundation, Hon. Karu Jayasuriya is a former Speaker of the Parliament in Sri Lanka. He is responsible for the establishment of many National Service and Religious projects in the island.