The Kandy Group
Graduating class of 1992.
Thirty years on, we returned not for recognition, but to serve.
Kandy · Class of 1992
Kandy in the 1990s
From classmates to comrades in service
We grew up together in the hills of Kandy. Our school taught us discipline, integrity, and resilience through difficulties to honour.
In 2022, a reunion brought us back. Thirty years had passed. Some of us had grey hair; all of us had stories. But one question united us: What do we owe to the city that raised us? That question became AFT Kids & Elders.
Meet the Kandy Group
A handful of the 1992 graduates who turned a reunion into a movement. Each brings a unique gift to AFT's mission.
Ananda Kularatne
Executive VP, On Target Labs | Founder, AFT
Purdue University · The Scripps Research Institute · 3 FDA-approved drugs · 250+ patents
“Science taught me precision. Kandy taught me purpose. AFT is where they meet.”
Mahinda Wimalawansa, MBA, RPh
COO, On Sonet Technologies | Partner, AFT
Wharton MBA · Former Merck executive · Venture capitalist turned humanitarian
“The best investment I ever made was in people who care.”
Saman Wijayawardhana, MBA
Finance Director, AFT | Chartered Global Accountant
University of Bradford · Girl Scouts mentor · Ronald McDonald House volunteer
“Numbers tell stories. The most important story is how we spend every rupee with honour.”
+ many more from the Kandy Group
The Thread That Connects Us
A reunion that became a mission. A brotherhood that became a movement.
Graduation
A group of friends leave their school in Kandy. They promise to stay in touch. Life scatters them across the globe.
The Reunion
Thirty years later, they meet again. Some haven't seen each other since they were teenagers. The laughter is immediate. So is the question: what can we give back?
First Pilot Programs
Scholarships for 12 children in Kandy. Mentorship for 30 students. Elder care visits begin. They fund it themselves. No overhead. 100% to programs.
AFT Kids & Elders Registered
Formal NGO registration. 347+ children supported. 1,200+ families reached. 22 communities served. A promise kept.
What Kandy Gave Us
- Discipline without rigidity – the courage to do what is right, not what is easy.
- Brotherhood across differences – we were from every corner of Kandy, united by our home.
- "Per Angusta Ad Augusta" – the knowledge that hardship is the path to honour.
- A love for Kandy – its hills, its history, its people. This city raised us. Now we raise it up.
What We Give Back
- Education scholarships for children who remind us of ourselves.
- Mentorship that says: “You belong. You can become.”
- Elder care for those who built this city and are now forgotten.
- Transparent operations – 100% of public donations go to programs. We cover all overhead ourselves.
"We were teenagers who left Kandy to find our futures. We returned as adults who realised our future was always here – in the children who need a chance, and the elders who deserve to be seen."
— The Kandy Group, Class of 1992
Become part of the story
The Kandy Group started with a question: what do we owe to the place that raised us? You don't need to be from Kandy to answer it.
100% of public donations go directly to programs. AFT covers all administrative costs.