In memory of the late Sumethirai Nandhakumaran (Sumi), Sumi Foundation carries forward her legacy of compassion, generosity, and helping others. Sumi studied at Vembadi Girls High School and the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka before earning her Electronics Engineering degree from Carleton University in Ottawa and working as an Electronics Engineer at Honeywell Aerospace in Canada.
Alongside her professional life, Sumi was also passionate about the environment and was involved in various environmental improvement efforts in Canada. Her commitment to helping others and caring for the world around her continues to guide the work of Sumi Foundation. Today, that commitment extends across both education and the environment, with Sumi Foundation also focused on growing and planting trees across Sri Lanka.
We envision a Sri Lanka with more trees and more greenery, from forests and towns to the everyday spaces around us. We want the trees planted today to grow into something that supports wildlife, provides shade, enriches its surroundings, and contributes to a healthier natural environment for years to come.
Our mission is to grow, plant, and nurture trees throughout Sri Lanka. From raising seedlings to finding places for them to grow and caring for them after planting, we are working to put more trees into the ground and give them the opportunity to become part of the environment around them.
Our focus is simple and practical: growing trees, planting them, and helping create a healthier environment for future generations. Much of our work supports reforestation, alongside planting in other parts of Sri Lanka where more trees can benefit the environment around them.
Today, we work with four types of trees: Beech, Tamarind, Teak, and Neem. Some begin with seeds raised by our team, while other seedlings are sourced from external nurseries when needed. As our work develops, we hope to keep increasing what we are able to grow, plant, and care for.
Whether we raise a tree ourselves, plant it as part of a larger project, or give it to others to plant, every tree has the potential to become something bigger than where it began. We value each planting as a chance to add something positive to the world around us.
Our work is not only about what trees can do for people. Trees are also part of the homes, food sources, and surroundings of animals, insects, plants, and other living things. Caring for trees means caring about the wider world they are part of.
We believe more people can have a role in caring for the environment. By sharing trees with schools and local communities, we give others the opportunity to plant, look after, and watch something grow in the places that matter to them.
The work we do today should have an impact that extends beyond today. A tree can continue to grow long after the day it is planted, offering shade, supporting wildlife, and becoming part of its surroundings. What begins with one tree today can become something that continues to give, grow, and live on for decades to come.
