President’s Message – YMBA

Invoking Blessings

The members of YMBA compassionately bestow blessings on inmate patients, staff and the general public by carrying out regular alms giving to Bhikkus and also to a group of mothers (Kirammawarunge Dane) and inmates of an elders’ home as annual events.

Cultivation of in-depth concentration

One can rediscover mindfulness that has gone amiss and find you’re the inner calmness by practicing the right way of meditation under the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable Bhikkus.

Helping the sick is also a priority

We provide comfortable lodgings, food and other essential facilities including the provision of prescribed drugs when requested, to cancer patients who report to Apeksha Hospital for outdoor treatment.

Donation of Blood

Annual blood donation campaign is conducted in July, to assist the Blood Bank of Apeksha Hospital to augment their blood supply kept for emergencies.

Educating the Young Spirits

The Association assists needy children in their education to achieve a good status in the society, With this objective, YMBA offers scholarships to Ordinary Level and Advanced Level students.

Empowering the Youth

Facilitating the under privileged school leavers the opportunity to follow a 6 months Software Development IT course followed by practical training.

President's Message

Mr. H.M.Thilak Herath

The unfailing efforts of a courageous, selfless and religious minded few residents of Maharagama, resulted in the launching of the Young Men’s Buddhist Association, Maharagama (YMBA Maharagama), which today is an islandwide recognised social service organisation. The path we at YMBA Maharagama had to tread was not an easy one. In this journey the obstacles we had to surmount and mental sufferings that were endured by us were many. The utmost devotion and determination of many of our members including some who enrolled later into the membership and the unreserved assistance together with donations received from many benefactors made it possible to gradually arrive at the prominent social status that we enjoy today. The right and steady decisions taken by action groups in the Association also contributed immensely to this winning process. All social services rendered by our Association is guided by the Buddhist philosophical vision of making the mankind more humane and the social services that we perform with this vision are for the betterment of the entire human race with no bar on colour, creed or any such irrelevant difference.

We at YMBA Maharagama are extremely pleased about various projects initiated covering religious, social, educational and cultural fields and continue to serve the people all around the country bringing benefits to them.

I wish that our Association continue to grow and that the whole world should become aware of valuable services that we carry out for the betterment of the needy sections of the society.

H. M. Thilak Herath

Hony. President

YMBA renders all its services absolutely free. Funds required for the social service projects are raised through regular fund raising programmes in addition to the voluntary contributions of members, well-wishing organisations and individuals. A few philanthropists have left endowments through last wills and often the members of the general public who have been inspired by the Association’s humanitarian services too contribute towards the Association’s activities.

The project that provides free food and lodgings to cancer stricken patients is operated through a special Trust Fund launched for the purpose. YMBA has since its inception has served more than 50,000 patients and caregivers and hopes to strengthen this Fund through voluntary donations.
The Cancer Stricken Patients Drug Assistance Fund has been established to provide relief to needy patients to obtain drugs and medical test reports from external laboratories when recommended by medical professionals. This Fund too is maintained through voluntary contributions received from local and foreign donors.
Scholarships to students are too funded through sponsorships and donations received to the Scholarship Fund.
Religious services such as alms giving, assistance to Buddhist Temples, conducting Dhamma discourses and discussions too depend on donations of pious persons.
Social services such as blood donation campaigns to assist blood bank at Apeksha Hospital, family health camps, women’s welfare programmes and special projects to assist those affected by natural disasters and calamities.

YMBA respectfully invite donations from concerned members of the public to fund their humanitarian services. The Management Council of the Association requests you to send your kind donation to the bank account with details given below:

Account Name	Maharagama Young Men's Buddhist Association
Bank	Sampath Bank
Branch	Maharagama
Account No	001360000504

We thank you to provide information of contributions to the Hony. Treasurer of the Association by post, email or telephone, sending a photocopy of your deposit slip mentioning the project or programme towards which you contribute will help in the maintenance of proper records.

Your contributions are highly valued and will help YMBA Maharagama in successful provision of service to the needy sections of the society.