The Upul Herath Foundation was founded primarily to support kids and the rural Puttalam District schools that lack basic amenities. The Foundation is giving away packs of necessities to pupils, which include shoes, school supplies, all the necessary equipment, extra reading volumes for the libraries, water filters, sporting goods, and other necessities for remote schools. The Foundation's other primary goal is to unearth rural kids' latent abilities and elevate them to a national and international level. As a practice of providing aid in times of need, numerous activities of giving food packs containing necessities were carried out during the 2004 tsunami and flooding seasons. The majority of the contributions were prioritised and finished quickly because they required immediate attention. Understanding the importance of education and recalling the difficult time he had to spend pursuing it, this Foundation is operating in the good faith belief that it will enable underprivileged kids to view the world as he did.
Upul Herath was born on 18th October 1975 in Nattandiya, North Western Province of Sri Lanka. He received education at Dhammissara National College in Nattandiya and completed his G. C. E. (Advanced Level) Examination. Thereafter, attended Ceylon Hotel School and School of Tourism governed by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Ever since he has been working in the Hotel Industry in Sri Lanka and overseas.
He started his own business venture as Beverley Family Restaurant in 2005 in Nattandiya town, in the year 2007. He was fortunate to migrate to New Zealand as a skilled migrant and opened his second business venture namely Beverley International New Zealand Limited (www.beverleyint.co.nz) opening the doors to Sri Lankans to migrate to New Zealand. Today under Beverley Group there exists a few other ventures apart from the Education and Migration business, including, a Money Transfer Company in New Zealand: Beverley Fast Cash NZ Limited and the last completed project Sunset Beach Resort in Marawila Beach Sri Lanka.
He is a proud businessman; he commenced in New Zealand, Beverley International New Zealand Limited, opening the doors to Sri Lankans to migrate to New Zealand. Some to work and others to obtain their higher education in world renowned Institutions, which not only paved the way for the students alone to obtain a sound education but for their spouses as well with the ultimate result to obtain work visas and permanent residency status. By doing so, he is relieved and satisfied that he helped thousands of Sri Lankans to look for greener pastures to go to a peaceful and clean country which is rated as the fourth peaceful country in the world with zero crime rate according to the Global Index Rating conducted. Throughout the years this has been expanded to add other study destinations world-wide as well.
Moreover, it is noteworthy to mention that Beverley Group and other ventures coming under its umbrella provide many job opportunities to Sri Lankans and thereby support the Sri Lankan Government in reducing some of the unemployment problem.
AS A SOCIAL AND PUBLIC FIGURE:
Social work and leadership are coming from his blood as his grandfather Mr. Jamis Singho (Jamis Ralahami) was a key Government Officer that governed the villages in the area. His mother Mrs. Yasawathi Herath is a key and well-known political activist belonging to the left wing. She has been an active member of Sri Lanka Freedom Party since 1968. It is worthy to mention that even Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranayake held a political meeting in 1970s at his grandparents’ house in Gurugodalla Village. Also Mrs. Yasawathi Herath was a prominent figure in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Women’s’ Association in Nattandiya electorate. She had also been working closely with the former President, Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga.
His father, Mr. Patrick Herath, is popularly known as Patrick Mahaththaya and a great supporter since 1960s of his family.
