PALM Foundation is a committed, well-recognized community development non-government organization existing in the Nuwara Eliya district of Sri Lanka, which serves the plantation and rural communities, adopting a participatory, holistic development approach and reaping tangible benefits to those deprived, discriminated and isolated communities.

The organization was initiated in the eighties, by a group of Dutch volunteers, headed by Ms. Natascha Sennema who was moved by the poor and isolated living conditions of the plantation workers and adjoining village people.

The PALM Foundation was founded in 1985 and registered in 1989 under the relevant government authorities, meeting legal requirements to operate as a community development organization in Sri Lanka.

From the inception of PALM Foundation, the community development programmes were implemented through a socio-economic empowerment process. The integrated community development interventions of the organization have a prime focus on social mobilization process which strengthens civil society structures as the path to community empowerment. Other main development programmes are infrastructure development (including water and sanitation and small scale constructions), natural resource management, eco farming, health and nutrition promotion, community led micro finance schemes, livelihood generation activities, early childhood development, child protection, health and wellbeing of elders, empowerment of women and legal rights education.

According to PALM Foundation’s policies we consider the plantation and rural areas as our main target population. Deciding selection criteria include: recommendation of local government authority, the extent of poverty, gender inequality, natural disasters, poor access to resources and government services, requests from the community and the intervention of other voluntary organizations.