The MJF Foundation and Dilmah Conservation play vital roles in the lives of thousands of underpriviledged Sri Lankans and in the conservation of their precious environment. Dilmah prides itself in being a truly ethical business, so it’s nice to know that every time you purchase a pack of Dilmah Tea, you are helping the Dilmah family further their mission to make business a matter of human service - and for that we’d like to say, 'Thank you'.

Merrill J. Fernando
Founder of Dilmah Conservation
and MJF Charitable Foundation

A passion project of Merrill J. Fernando, the MJF Centre in Moratuwa is a haven for dozens of underprivileged and differently-abled children. Teachers provide a high level of care and ensure students’ goals and aspirations are nurtured through tailored educational programs.

Master Potter, Ajith Perera works with the MJF Charitable Foundation to implement an innovative appropriation of Sri Lanka’s rich pottery making tradition. Here the daughters of impoverished farmers are taught not only pottery techniques but business management and language skills to improve living conditions within their village and encourage sustainable industry growth.

Unbeknownst to most, Batticaloa was one of the areas worst hit by the 2004 tsunami and due to Sri Lanka’s unrest has largely neglected by foreign aid. In this time of reconciliation, the MJF Charitable Foundation is supporting the rebuilding of environmental foundations and local commerce through arranging the plantation of coastal greenery and the inception of a sustainable cashew industry.

Life in the fishing hub of Point Pedro at the northernmost tip of Sri Lanka is unforgiving for single mothers. The MJF Charitable Foundation provides these women with the education and training necessary to start their own businesses and sustain a family income while also ensuring their children have access to schooling.

In conceiving his business, Merrill J. Fernando vowed to ensure two things: that he would provide consumers with the finest tea on earth, and provide his workers with a high quality of life and better future for their families. In the Holyrood Tea Estate, working mother Gnanamani explains how she lives in a desirable environment and her children have access to excellent educational resources for free.

In working with Professor Sarath Kotagama, the MJF Charitable Foundation aims to encourage reconciliation between Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups. Professor Kotagama believes in the simplicity of nature’s tranquility in providing a calming perspective, which through structured activity encourages groups of youth to interact peacefully and build relationships.

With no small mandate of working to preserve Sri Lanka’s unique biodiversity, the Elephant Transit Home in Uda Walawe National Park combines passion with cutting-edge practice. Here orphaned elephants are reared with minimal human contact and released into the wild to continue breeding. An Information Centre is also run by the MJFCF, providing tourists and locals with conservation resources.

Assisting with the education and independent development of differently-abled children continues to be a primary focus of the MJF Charitable Foundation. The MJFCF has established a dedicated school for special needs children in the Hambantota district, supported the Moneragela School for the Vision and Hearing Impaired, and implemented a national cricket competition for students.

A modern take on an ancient method, Bio Char is the result of an MJF Charitable Foundation supported initiative to foster microorganism growth in chemically damaged soil. While over farming and unsustainable chemical fertilisation have left iconic tea fields in ill health, trials of Bio Char have yielded positive results in affording produce an improved leaf texture and allowing it to better withstand drought.

The Small Entrepreneur Program was developed by the MJF Charitable Foundation shortly after the 2004 tsunami. To this day, the scope of the project is to identify disadvantaged people with skills and provide them the extra assistance needed to establish a business and earn a living.