Giving back to the place that gave us a home
Sri Lanka has given Mum and me so much: a home, a family and a community that welcomed us with open arms. Giving back isn’t an extra for us. It’s part of who we are.
The world is changing fast, and we believe we should be changing with it. That’s why a portion of everything we earn at Lotus goes straight back into local projects that support our community and the beautiful coastline we call home.
When you stay with us, you’re part of that too. Every wave, every massage, every night at the long table helps make a real difference here in Ahangama.
We hope it inspires you to take a little of that home with you.
This project holds significant importance to us since the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans is a pressing global concern. A friend of ours initiated a self funded venture to tackle this problem by focusing on preventing plastic waste from entering the ocean through rivers. By intercepting plastic waste at the source, this project has the potential to make a substantial impact on reducing plastic pollution in our oceans. This approach is particularly relevant to Sri Lanka where a significant amount of plastic waste finds its way into the ocean through rivers. We hope that this initiative sets an example for other countries to follow and inspires similar ideas for effective plastic waste management.
The founder is committed to not only reducing plastic pollution but also giving back to the community. To ensure that the units are maintained regularly, local families are employed and paid to maintain the rivers each month. This not only provides employment opportunities but also teaches the local community the importance of keeping their environment clean and the negative impact of littering on the ecosystem. A percentage of Lotus earnings will contribute to this project and the up keep of the maintenance to each river, and we welcome our guests to also contribute towards the sustainability of this project, which aims to improve the condition of our magnificent world and oceans.
The innovative solution involves using modules. These are strategically placed in rivers to intercept plastic waste before it reaches the ocean, while still allowing fish to swim freely through. In the case of this particular river, 11 units were installed, however, this can vary depending on the size of the river, with some rivers having between 2 to 30 modules. Our Guest Katrina paid for the instalment and maintenance for this river for over a year. We at Lotus intend to maintain all rivers that our guest contribute too, starting with this one.
Feeding the people of Sri Lanka is a project that is very close to my heart. As the founder, it has been a journey of passion and dedication. Our goal is to feed over 100 people as many times a year as we can. We believe that no one should go hungry, and we want to do our part to help those in need. One of the things that I'm most proud of is that we support local rice and curry places to make food packs. This not only helps to provide food for those in need, but it also gives those businesses good business.
We feed people from Ahangama all the way through to Galle, which are some of the poorest areas in Sri Lanka. It's a self-funded project, and we've been doing this for years. But we're always hoping to make it a bigger thing when we can. Pre-COVID and post-CRISIS, Sri Lanka was affected badly and hit with crises like no power or fuel, which made our work even more important. Seeing the impact that our project has on people's lives is truly rewarding, and it's something that keeps needs to happen.
A clip made by Lotus guest and friend Anna, helping Helen on her 3rd feed the people : project of 2022. “Feeding the needed isn’t going to change their lives, but at least they know there are people out there, that care.” We at Lotus will continue to encourage guest and the community to make positive acts of kindness and to be good to those in need.
Liam's passion for discovering talent on the island led him to collaborate with Rusty, a renowned surf brand, to create a program aimed at showcasing Sri Lanka's gifted surfers. The initiative began with two surfers from the south coast, Lucky and Sachin, both naturally skilled at riding waves. Although they had different approaches, their unique styles complemented each other, enhancing their overall performance.
Liam focused on honing their competition techniques, introducing innovative maneuvers, and capturing content to build an audience and raise awareness. This effort was greatly supported by our talented videographer and photographer, Sasi, who had little camera experience when they first met. Their teamwork and shared passion for the craft have produced remarkable results.
