Akron, Ohio · Boralanda, Sri Lanka

Joy in
Seeing Others
Thrive

Named for the Buddhist principle of Mudita — sympathetic joy — we advance community resilience by building on what communities already have, not what they lack.

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January 2026 · Boralanda Village

Post-Cyclone Ditwah Response

First organized humanitarian aid to reach Boralanda after Sri Lanka's deadliest cyclone since the 2004 tsunami.

500+ Villagers Trained in CPR & First Aid
250+ Students Reached with School Supplies
322 Students at Partner School
$4.1B National Damage from Cyclone Ditwah
Badulla District · Uva Province

The Story Behind the Work

Boralanda, Sri Lanka — November 2025

On November 28, 2025, Cyclone Ditwah devastated the remote hill-country village of Boralanda. The school library flooded. Families were displaced. Over 130 children lost access to education. In a community already facing some of the highest poverty rates in Sri Lanka, the cyclone amplified every vulnerability.

"We didn't just bring resources — we listened. We mapped what this community already had: skilled teachers, resilient students, deep family networks, and a will to rebuild."

In January 2026, the Mudita Foundation became one of the first external organizations to reach Boralanda. Working alongside Theravada Buddhist monks, the school principal, and a government social worker named Manjula, we delivered school supplies, medical aid, laptops, and CPR training for 500+ villagers.

See the Impact

What We've Delivered

Programs That Build Lasting Resilience

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Education Recovery

School supplies and books for 250+ students. Library restoration at Boralanda Dharmapala Vidyalaya. Computer lab setup and ESL exchange program connecting Boralanda students with peers in Northeast Ohio.

🏥

Medical & Health Aid

CPR and First Aid training for 500+ villagers in a remote area with limited healthcare access. Trauma response capacity established in a community that had none. Medical supplies distributed to families most in need.

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Long-Term Resilience

Planned vocational training centers leveraging local agricultural knowledge. Solar-powered lighting and clean water systems. Disaster preparedness education built into the school curriculum for the next generation.

Our Approach

Asset-Based Community Development

We don't define communities by what they lack. We start with what they have. Grounded in the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) framework developed by Kretzmann and McKnight, every Mudita program identifies and amplifies existing community assets before introducing any external resources.

This inside-out approach creates self-sustaining change — not dependency. The Mudita Foundation serves as a transnational connector, not a savior.

01
Individual Assets Teachers' skills · Students' resilience · Monks' expertise · Agricultural knowledge
02
Association Assets Family networks · Student/parent groups · Farmer cooperatives · Women's circles
03
Institutional Assets Boralanda school · Buddhist temple · Government office · Mudita Foundation
04
Physical & Economic Assets Agricultural land · Tea plantations · Natural environment · Trade networks

Learn More About Us

Meet the people, philosophy, and commitments behind the work.

If you want a fuller picture of the Mudita Foundation, our About page shares the values, leadership, and long-term approach that guide every program we build.

Explore Our About Page