The Gnanam Foundation was founded by serial entrepreneur Allirajah Subaskaran and his wife Prema over 10 years ago. The foundation is named in honour of Subaskaran’s mother, Gnanambikai Allirajah, and aims to provide funds to the poorest parts of the world and to those most in need of assistance.
Improving Lives
The Gnanam Foundation’s mission is to improve lives and is concerned with promoting long-term stability for the individuals, families and communities it supports, rather than short-term improvements. To this end, the organisation assists communities to gain independence through the provision of safety, shelter and medical care and by developing the skills of their members.
In 2016, the Gnanam Foundation was awarded the title of ‘Greatest Humanitarian Organization of the World’ at the Global Officials of Dignity Awards hosted by We Care for Humanity.
The Founders of the Gnanam Foundation
Allirajah Subashkaran is the chairman of Lyca Mobile, and co-founder Prema Subaskaran is the chairperson of Lyca Health. The married couple established the Gnanam Foundation to assist marginalised communities worldwide.
Allirajah is the founder and chairman of the Lyca Group, which operates within the global telecoms and mobile industry. He also sits on the Advisory Council of the British Asian Trust, the charity founded by King Charles III.
The Gnanam Foundation’s Projects
A past project of the foundation involved the construction of 150 houses in Sri Lanka in 2015, which were used to relocate internally displaced people who had been living at Poonthoddam IDP camp. The foundation stone was laid in August 2015 in a ceremony attended by many distinguished guests.
The Gnanam Foundation has also previously worked with the Damilola Taylor Trust in Nigeria to fund the building of a library and supported 585 orphans in Sri Lanka, providing the children with safe and secure housing and education. Partnering with Muslim Aid in Sudan, the foundation helped build a well that has benefitted hundreds of neighbouring families. The foundation understands that there are major issues with the water supply in many third-world countries and feels that helping to improve access to basic necessities is a key part of its role.
For more information about the projects that the Gnanam Foundation has been involved in, take a look at the embedded PDF.
Emergency Appeals
As well as its work within the community and with individuals and families, the foundation also responds to emergency appeals as and when these occur. The Gnanam Foundation is currently active in Sri Lanka, Sudan, India, Tanzania, Pakistan, Romania and the Philippines, with plans to grow globally over the coming years.
