My name is Vithya and I am a professional Hair and Makeup artist from London. Being born in Mannar, Sri Lanka and being a refugee, I understand the opportunities and privileges my parents have given me by bringing me to UK. I have raised money for charities back in the past but this time I really wanted to do something huge: I am teaching a Bridal Masterclass and donating 100% of the proceeds to Serendip, but for those who cannot attend the class but would like to be a part of this, I thought I will open up this page so you can.

Serendip is a small but steady charity created in 2009 to give vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka a fairer chance in life. What started as a simple wish to help a few children has grown into a long journey of learning, listening, and standing beside people who need a hand.

They are non political, respect all religions, and make sure every person is treated equally. Their projects are practical and very community based.

Serendip is also formally registered in Sri Lanka as a non profit organisation. They have their own local team there who carry out the work every day. This means the help they provide is delivered directly by their staff, rather than through another organisation.

They work closely with underprivileged children in rural and estate communities, helping them stay in school, giving them access to learning materials, and opening small but meaningful opportunities that keep them away from negative influences.

Women’s empowerment is also important to them; they support women, mostly mothers, to learn new skills so they can earn an income. Many of them come from difficult backgrounds, and having a skill gives them confidence and some stability at home.

They continue to support elders who live alone and have no family to help them. Their team visits them regularly and provides dry food and essentials, making sure they are not forgotten.

Serendip has been running for sixteen years now and everything they do is guided by compassion, consistency and transparency. They work closely with local staff and volunteers, and keep their costs low so that the maximum support reaches the people they serve.

What Serendip does really aligns with me and I wanted the money to go to several of their projects to try and help as much as possible.

Even a little donation will go a long way.