Working together to empower individuals, strengthen families, and build a more inclusive society.
At the Shiranee Joseph de Saram Foundation (SJDSF), we believe that every individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserves the opportunity to lead a fulfilling, independent, and meaningful life.
Achieving this vision requires more than developing individual skills. It requires empowering families, strengthening support systems, challenging societal attitudes, and creating opportunities for meaningful participation in education, employment, and community life.
Our multidisciplinary approach brings together behavioural interventions, education and skills development, supported employment, family counselling, parent empowerment, advocacy, and community outreach. These are not separate or supplementary initiatives, but interconnected components of our mission to help neurodiverse individuals and their families reach their full potential.
Our leadership team combines expertise in science, behavioural interventions, education, counselling, social development, advocacy, and organisational leadership. Together, we are committed to developing evidence-informed, person-centred programmes that deliver meaningful and lasting impact.
Praveena Joseph de Saram is a scientist, entrepreneur, and social innovation leader with extensive experience spanning scientific research, management consulting, entrepreneurship, medical technology, and nonprofit leadership.
Educated at the University of Oxford, where she studied Physics, and Princeton University, where she pursued graduate studies in Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Praveena brings an interdisciplinary and analytically rigorous approach to addressing complex social challenges.
Her professional career has included management consulting at Kearney, founding a socially responsible consumer products business, and serving as Chief Operating Officer of a medical technology startup in the United States. Alongside her executive experience, she has served on nonprofit and educational boards in the United States and Sri Lanka, contributing to organisational strategy, governance, fundraising, and institutional development.
As Managing Director of SJDSF, Praveena has led the expansion and transformation of the Foundation’s programmes, pioneering a structured Supported Employment Programme for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, strengthening family support services, and developing partnerships with leading corporations, educational institutions, and community organisations.
She is also committed to advancing systemic change through research, advocacy, and public policy. Working with Princeton University’s Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES), she has supported collaborations connecting Princeton students and faculty with disability-related policy challenges in Sri Lanka. These initiatives seek to translate research and international best practices into practical policy recommendations, including approaches to early identification, educational inclusion, and improved support for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Praveena’s leadership reflects a conviction that meaningful social change requires both direct service delivery and systemic reform. Her work focuses on building scalable, sustainable models that empower individuals and families while advancing disability inclusion at institutional and national levels.
In recognition of her contributions to social entrepreneurship, she received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the WCIC Prathibhabhisheka Women’s Entrepreneurship Awards 2024.
Lalini Kobbekaduwa is a long-standing advocate for community development in Sri Lanka. In addition to serving on the Board of the Shiranee Joseph de Saram Foundation (SJDSF), she is actively involved with Prithipura Communities, supporting residential care, therapy, and vocational training for people with disabilities. She also founded the Denzil Kobbekaduwa Foundation, which continues the late General’s legacy through educational and social initiatives promoting peace and empowerment.
Dr. Nirupa Rajalathan provides strategic and technical leadership for SJDSF’s programmes, guiding their design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
With expertise in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and behavioural interventions, Dr. Rajalathan supports the development of structured, individualised approaches to learning, behavioural support, and skills development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Her work focuses on strengthening the scientific and evidence-informed foundations of SJDSF’s programmes, ensuring that interventions are responsive to each individual’s strengths, needs, and aspirations.
She works closely with programme staff to strengthen assessment practices, individualised learning plans, staff training, and outcome measurement. Particular emphasis is placed on developing practical skills, independence, emotional wellbeing, and meaningful participation in everyday life.
Under her programme leadership, SJDSF seeks not only to implement evidence-informed interventions but also to systematically evaluate their effectiveness, contribute to the evidence base, and develop approaches that can be adapted and replicated in other settings.
Dr. Rajalathan’s work is central to SJDSF’s commitment to delivering high-quality, measurable, and person-centred programmes that enable individuals with developmental disabilities to achieve their full potential.
Deshal de Mel is an economist who has experience across government, private sector, and academia, currently serving as Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance of Sri Lanka. He was also a member of the National Trade Negotiation Committee where he led negotiations on trade in services, completing Sri Lanka’s first bilateral trade in services agreement with Singapore. He previously worked in the corporate sector as Senior Economist at the Hayleys Group, one of Sri Lanka’s largest diversified conglomerates. He has served on a number of corporate and non-corporate boards, including at present Sampath Bank PLC, and previously Sri Lankan Airlines, Sri Lankan Catering, and the Centre for Poverty Analysis. He was also a Commissioner at the Securities & Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka in 2018-2019. He has a degree in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics from the University of Oxford and a Masters in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics. He was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in 2019.
Chiranthi Cooray is Deputy General Manager/Chief Transformation Officer of Hatton National Bank PLC. Chiranthi serves on the Boards of the HNB General Insurance Ltd, CSR Sri Lanka (Guarantee) Ltd & Advisory Board of AISEC Sri Lanka and serves as a Trustee of the HNB Sustainability Foundation. She also serves in the SLID Education & Technical Working Committee and Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce Policy Advocacy Committee.
She is a past President of the Association of Human Resource Professionals, Sri Lanka. Chiranthi holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wales (Cardiff Metropolitan). Chiranthi was awarded the HR Leadership Award for Global HR Excellence organized by World HR Congress in February 2015.
She has also been awarded the Gold Category at the Women for Governance Professional & Career Women Awards 2014/2015 by the Women in Management for her exceptional contribution and achievements in the field of Human Resources. Under her leadership the Hatton National Bank PLC has achieved many local and international awards in the last 10 years in HR and Sustainability spheres. In 2017, Chiranthi served as the Chairwoman of the National Task Force to recommend a strategic road map to increase female labour force participation in Sri Lanka for the National HR Development Council of Sri Lanka.
Gihan Talgodapitiya is a distinguished corporate trainer and consultant with extensive experience across Asia. As the founder of the Human Resources Management Institute (HRMI), he has significantly impacted professional education in Sri Lanka. He is known for integrating Japanese, Singaporean, and Western methodologies to help companies enhance productivity through innovation and strategic thinking. A fellow of CIMA and an MBA holder from the National University of Singapore, he has delivered over 4,500 seminars to more than 300 private and public sector organizations. His expertise focuses on strategic management, cost reduction, and sustainable growth.
Wickrama Madurawala brings more than three decades of experience in counselling, child development, community development, programme management, and capacity building to SJDSF.
His professional journey began in 1991 as a Counsellor and Speech Therapist at Lady Ridgeway Hospital and the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, where he trained and worked under the supervision of Shiranee Joseph de Saram, the founder of SJDSF. His return to work with the Foundation represents a meaningful continuation of that early professional relationship and a shared commitment to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
Over the following three decades, Madura held senior positions with leading national and international development organisations, including ChildFund International, SOS Kinderdorf International, and the Plantation Human Development Trust. He subsequently served as a Training Specialist for the World Bank-supported Early Childhood Development Project of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
His extensive experience encompasses child protection, psychological counselling, community engagement, programme monitoring and evaluation, and the training of educators, government officials, and community leaders.
Madura holds an MBA in Project Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling from the University of Colombo, and a BSc in Biological Science from the University of Kelaniya.
As Manager, Advocacy & Outreach, Madura leads SJDSF’s efforts to strengthen community awareness, family empowerment, and disability inclusion. A central component of his work is the development and delivery of parent empowerment workshops, which equip parents and caregivers with knowledge, practical strategies, and greater confidence to support their family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
He also works to strengthen engagement with government institutions, employers, educators, and community organisations, advocating for more inclusive policies, practices, and opportunities.
His work reflects SJDSF’s recognition that empowering neurodiverse individuals requires not only individual interventions, but also informed families, supportive communities, and institutions committed to inclusion.
Manjulã Manapaya-Weeratunge is a counselling professional with experience in psychosocial support, community wellbeing, and working with vulnerable children, adolescents, and families.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lincoln University, Malaysia, and a Higher National Diploma in Counselling from the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, where she was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Performance. She also holds a New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and has undertaken specialised training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), art and music therapy, parenting support, stress management, and palliative counselling.
Her professional experience includes clinical counselling training under Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Neil Fernando at Norris Clinic, Colombo, as well as several years of pro bono counselling and community advocacy supporting underprivileged children, mothers, and adolescents experiencing emotional and psychological challenges.
Manjulã brings a compassionate, holistic, and person-centred approach to counselling, recognising the unique circumstances, strengths, and needs of every individual and family.
As Family Counsellor at SJDSF, she plays an integral role in the Foundation’s approach to empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
Her work focuses on providing emotional and psychosocial support to parents, caregivers, and family members, helping them navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, develop coping strategies, and promote wellbeing within the family.
SJDSF recognises that families and caregivers often face significant emotional, social, and practical demands. Supporting their mental health, resilience, and personal wellbeing is therefore a core component of the Foundation’s mission.
Through individualised counselling and family support, Manjulã helps create the supportive home environments that enable neurodiverse individuals and their families to thrive.
Abdah Reza
Volunteer Specialist – Learning Support & Educational Development
Abdah Reza is a special education and inclusion specialist with over six years of experience supporting diverse learners in British international schools.
She holds a Master of Education in Educational Assessment and Evaluation, a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Special Needs Education, and a Diploma in Early Childhood and Primary Education.
Her expertise includes special educational needs assessment, individualised education planning, differentiated instruction, and the development of practical learning strategies for children and young people with diverse learning profiles.
At SJDSF, Abdah contributes to the development of individualised educational support for children and adolescents with learning disabilities and developmental differences, including autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, and dyslexia.
Her work includes assessing individual learning needs, developing Individualised Education Plans (IEPs), and supporting foundational literacy, numeracy, and school-readiness skills to help children access and participate more effectively in educational settings.
She also supports the development of functional literacy, numeracy, and digital skills for older adolescents and adults preparing for supported employment and greater independence.
Working collaboratively with SJDSF’s instructors and programme staff, Abdah helps develop structured, practical, and measurable approaches to learning that recognise each individual’s strengths and potential.
Her contribution reflects SJDSF’s commitment to providing educational opportunities across the lifespan, from school readiness and academic support to the foundational skills required for employment and independent living.
Abdah Reza is a special education and inclusion specialist with over six years of experience supporting diverse learners in British international schools.
She holds a Master of Education in Educational Assessment and Evaluation, a Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Special Needs Education, and a Diploma in Early Childhood and Primary Education.
Her expertise includes special educational needs assessment, individualised education planning, differentiated instruction, and the development of practical learning strategies for children and young people with diverse learning profiles.
At SJDSF, Abdah contributes to the development of individualised educational support for children and adolescents with learning disabilities and developmental differences, including autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, and dyslexia.
Her work includes assessing individual learning needs, developing Individualised Education Plans (IEPs), and supporting foundational literacy, numeracy, and school-readiness skills to help children access and participate more effectively in educational settings.
She also supports the development of functional literacy, numeracy, and digital skills for older adolescents and adults preparing for supported employment and greater independence.
Working collaboratively with SJDSF’s instructors and programme staff, Abdah helps develop structured, practical, and measurable approaches to learning that recognise each individual’s strengths and potential.
Her contribution reflects SJDSF’s commitment to providing educational opportunities across the lifespan, from school readiness and academic support to the foundational skills required for employment and independent living.
At SJDSF, we recognise that empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities requires a coordinated effort across multiple areas of their lives.
Our programmes are designed to address three interconnected priorities:
Through this integrated approach, our team strives to ensure that the progress individuals make within SJDSF’s programmes translates into lasting improvements in their lives, families, and communities.
Our ultimate goal is not simply to provide services, but to help create a society in which neurodiverse individuals and their families have the support, opportunities, and freedom to reach their full potential.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
