Raise my people
“ We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
– Winston Churchill
Founder
Rashini Pitigala
Greetings, everyone! This is Rashini Pitigala, the heart and soul behind raisemypeople.org. I am currently a first-year college undergraduate at New York University (NYU), pursuing a degree in Psychology on the pre-medical track. My inspiration for this nonprofit stems from an eye-opening realization I experienced during a vacation to my home country, Sri Lanka. Growing up as an American-born citizen, I had the privilege of abundant resources, but witnessing the challenges faced by many of the impoverished communities in Sri Lanka was like a reality check for me. This visit opened my eyes to the severe disparities in access to proper healthcare, education, and other basic necessities for the people. A large portion of this instability had to do with the significant economic crisis that took place during the post-pandemic era, which has left a lasting impact on the current day situation in these countries and the day-to-day life of my people back in Sri Lanka. raisemypeople is a nonprofit charity organization that reflects my commitment to making a change for my brothers and sisters and providing the younger generations with an equal opportunity for education to help bridge the gap and uplift everyone in need. Join with me as we turn hope into a reality for our Sri Lanka!
College Technology Distribution
Earlier this year, in July 2024, I coordinated a project with the goal of addressing the lack of technology In school learning environments. We packaged 3 shipments which were sent via cargo shipping to provide underprivileged schools with the necessary equipment for modern day learning.
Pharmaceutical Donation of Hamsyl Injection
In October of 2024, with the help of the third largest pharmaceutical company in Sri Lanka, Emerchemie NB (Ceylon) Limited, we were able to donate a Hamsyl Injection. The Hamsyl injection is mainly used in the treatment of blood cancers, also known as acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). This injection works by killing and preventing the growth and multiplication of cancer cells.
Food Distribution for Single Mothers
In January of 2022, we completed our latest mission of hosting an arranged food drive for needy families, specifically single-parenting moms who had difficulty looking after their kids alone. Many bags of packaged foods and canned goods were distributed to 20 families in need, thanks to the Venerable Buddhiyagama Dhammasena Himi, who aided us in finding victims for the food drive. Thanks to all of you, we completed another mission while pleasing the needy people of Sri Lanka.
Smart Phone Giveaway
With necessary social distancing and quarantining in 2020, school districts in Sri Lanka had closed in response to coronavirus. School districts and educators were working diligently to transition to remote learning so students don’t fall behind. However, the only problem was the fact that over 15% of school age children didn’t have internet access or a device at home. Our aim was to close the resource divide between students at home and access to online learning. Through partnerships and our beloved donation community, in August of 2020 we were able to provide a smartphone to a student in Ruwanwella Sri Lanka, who was seeking resources for his remote learning experience.
Diaper Distribution
Back in December of 2020, we launched our first mission. The distribution of over 500 diapers to terminally ill cancer patients and hospice patients in Sri Lanka. Not only is it a way of helping out the needy, but having the added support of hospice can help increase patient dignity by ensuring the patient receives the respectful clinical, personal, emotional, and spiritual care they need.
