• ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

In 2007, Mike Coombes and Guy Monson were busy building their business (www.proporta.com) making accessories for the exploding mobile phone market. One day, they were working with their team in Sri Lanka (the home of their first manufacturer) when a lecturer at Colombo University told them a story which stopped them in their tracks.

It was about a bright 12-year-old Sri Lankan girl who had committed suicide when her family told her they couldn’t afford the writing paper she needed to do her schoolwork.

A year later they set up the Proporta Education Foundation (PEF) to help talented Sri Lankan children from poor families to remain in education.

Working with local volunteers drawn from the team in Sri Lanka, the PEF now supports more than a hundred children.

But funds are tight and we need your help in a country where a little goes a very long way.

A HARSH REALITY

Schooling is officially free in Sri Lanka but essentials (books, pens, paper, uniforms and transport) are not. If a family can’t cover these extra costs, it can mean that their children simply can’t go to school.

10

YEARS OF ACTIVITY

120

YOUNG PEOPLE CURRENTLY SUPPORTED

£61000

FUNDS DONATED

HELP US

You can help us – more than you think.

The PEF is small, pragmatic and highly efficient in a country where a few dollars go a very long way. The Proporta teams in Sri Lanka and the UK give their time for free so that we can make a simple promise:

When you make a donation to the PEF, every single penny arrives with the recipient.

Donations from our customers, friends and family have already helped us to support children through their exams on to high school and even university.

This year, we are taking on the huge challenge of raising £20 000/US$27 000.

This will mean we can support twenty more children in the coming year (£100 per child per year for the whole of their ten years at school – and we’ll find the extra money if they succeed and get to study for longer).

With your help, we can actually do this.

OUR CHARITY

As a registered charity* the PEF is strictly regulated here in the UK and UK tax payers can donate tax free using Gift Aid or a Payroll Giving Scheme.

Also, with all admin costs covered by us, we have a 100% donation policy – every single penny donated arrives in full with the recipient.

*(UK Charity no. 1154827. Company no. 08402500. Please ask your employer about how to give tax efficiently).

FUTURE

We are working hard to raise the £20 000 (US$27 000) to take on twenty new students, supporting them throughout their educational career – at a cost of £100/US$130 per student per year throughout their education.

Successful students will go on to be the doctors, lawyers and teachers so desperately needed by their impoverished and often isolated rural communities in Sri Lanka.

WILL YOU HELP?

You can help us so much more than you might realise.

The cost of a meal or a few drinks in your home country will make an enormous difference to one of the carefully-selected PEF students.

We guarantee that 100% of any money you donate will be delivered in full to the PEF charity. We will cover all of the admin and running costs, allowing us to focus all of the contributions precisely where they are needed most – changing the life and prospect of the recipient in an instant.

It takes a couple of minutes to donate and even £5/US$7 will help someone more than you can imagine.

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MEET OUR TEAM

Charity and volunteer for a better life and for our smiles.

Mike Coombes

Mike Coombes

Co-founder

Armed with a degree in Marine Biology from the University College of North Wales, Mike Coombes went on teach Science in a secondary school in Kent.  After a brief stint gathering business experience in a metal finishing company he then joined university friend, Guy Monson, to set up Proporta in 1997.

Guy Monson

Guy Monson

Co-founder

After leaving the University College of North Wales with a degree in Psychology, Guy Monson went on to work briefly as a broadcast journalist before setting up Proporta with his co-Director, Mike Coombes, in 1997. The company’s first manufacturing partner was in Sri Lanka and they now have an office and small team in the capital, Colombo, from where they run the Proporta Education Foundation to help talented children from poor families to remain in Education.

Samuel Rodman

Samuel Rodman

Volunteer

Graduating from Brighton University with a degree in Computer Science, Samuel Rodman went on to manage the commercial website and solutions development. Then following a brief stint in VoIP systems and computer networking. Samuel went on to lead e-commerce development as Head of B2C for Proporta. Having conducted the Jaffna inauguration and been involved in visits as part of that year’s onboarding of students, Samuel has a good working experience of everything the charity does.

Vipula Kumara

Vipula Kumara

Volunteer

Vipula is the office assistant at Proporta. He’s a hard worker & is very keen on his job. A delight to work with. He plays a vital role in the Proporta Education Foundation, especially in the selection process, furthermore, he sends out letters and maintains constant communication with students to check that all is going well.

Chethiya Silva

Chethiya Silva

Volunteer

Chethiya works as a Business Support Executive at Proporta and joined us on our 16th Birthday. He is a quick learner & is always ready to support his colleagues. His role in the Proporta Education Foundation is to visit students and monitor their progress and lend a hand in the selection process.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK…

THE DANISH COUNCIL

Paul Lowe and the team at Hearts Global (www.heartsglobal.org) for its generous support.
Dan Ankersen for collecting unwanted mobile phones in Denmark and donating them to us to help the PEF families to communicate with our team in Sri Lanka.
The many friends of our teams in the UK and Sri Lanka who have personally donated to help us to continue our work.
You – for reading this and considering giving us your help. Such a little will make such a huge difference.

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PROPORTA UK TEAM

The UK team works hard enough in their day jobs and we would like to thank them for the time and skills they have donated to the PEF in addition.

PROPORTA SRI LANKA TEAM

Chethiya and Vipula play a major role in the PEF, handling the selection procedure, sending out letters to the students and visiting them to check that all is going well and that the donations are being received in full.

They are supported by the rest of the 12-strong Sri Lankan team who all help with admin and by visiting students.

Niroshan and Ketheesan perform some vital tasks as well as helping to translate letters and calls into/from Tamil. Cyril is our accountant and handles all PEF financial tasks.

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© 2019. Proporta Education Foundation is a registered charity in England and Walles (no 1154827)