This is what it's all about.
Less is love is a project resulting from the collaboration of the Melone family and the Helianto association. At a dinner party all gathered together, the family unit finds itself discussing the serious material waste to which it is subjected on a daily basis. Thus was born the desire to reduce this consumption, which is why for Christmas 2022 the Melone family decided not to unwrap any gifts but to donate the goods they would use to buy gifts to the Helianto Association.
Helianto was founded in 2005 in Ticino, one year after the tsunami hit Sri Lanka. Our goal is to combat illiteracy, poverty and disease in children in that country. Recognized as a public charity and therefore non-profit. The committee consists of seven young people from Ticino who are committed to a better future for Sri Lankan children. We collaborate with professionals in the country so that they become more autonomous and there is longevity in our projects. Our contact person and friend in the country is Saman Wijendra who has been working with us since the association’s inception, a trusted person who will oversee the project in Sri Lanka.
Because we need you
To date, the maternal and child health clinic in Uragaha, built in 1999, is in poor condition and unusable; forcing families to travel to a clinic that is many KMs away. Lack of gasoline and vehicles prevents them from coping with this distance, resulting in them not undergoing health checkups increasing the rate of malnutrition and mortality in the population. The renovation of the outpatient clinic would allow up to 200 mothers and children per day to be treated by undergoing health checks, malnutrition screenings, breast cancer screenings, vaccinations, and medication administration. The total cost of the outpatient clinic is 19,000 CHF, we are asking you to be part of this project by contributing to a portion of its implementation. Should we exceed 6,000 CHF all will be donated for the construction of the outpatient clinic.
Be part of this project.
A special collaboration
The collaboration between the Melone family and the Helianto association was born from a call in November in which the family made explicit that they wanted to undertake the Less is Love project, for a Christmas with more emotion and fewer materials. The family unit decided that they did not want to unwrap any presents under the tree but to donate the amount they would have spent on gifts to a Helianto project. Some members of the Helianto committee traveling to Sri Lanka in September 2022 highlight the need for renovation of the Uragaha Maternal and Child Health Clinic, which is currently unfit for the population.
From the union of the two parties comes the project to renovate the maternal and child health clinic, which will allow up to 200 mothers and babies a day to undergo health checkups and vaccinations. The special collaboration is also towards Sri Lankan artisans and professionals, who will engage in the implementation of the project, under Saman’s supervision.