{"id":150690,"date":"2025-07-15T07:15:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=150690"},"modified":"2025-07-15T07:15:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:15:08","slug":"dangerous-implications-of-involving-bill-gates-his-foundation-with-sri-lankas-children-and-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/07\/15\/dangerous-implications-of-involving-bill-gates-his-foundation-with-sri-lankas-children-and-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous Implications of Involving Bill Gates &amp; his Foundation with Sri Lanka\u2019s Children and Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><strong>Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"717\" height=\"373\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shenali150725R.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-150692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shenali150725R.jpg 717w, https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/shenali150725R-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In July 2025, Sri Lanka\u2019s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya met with Dr. Chris Elias, the Global Development Chair of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss child and maternal nutrition, agriculture, and digital education. The Foundation offered assistance for mid-day school meals, digital transformation, and education reform. On the surface, this appears helpful. But beneath the surface lies a deeply troubling pattern. Gates is no neutral philanthropist. As one of the world\u2019s most powerful individuals, he holds vast corporate stakes in synthetic food, vaccines, GMO agriculture, digital ID systems, population control programs, and geoengineering. His philanthropy\u201d is inextricably tied to private profits, patent monopolies, and unaccountable influence over national policies \u2013 particularly in the Global South.&nbsp;Why should a sovereign nation like Sri Lanka rely on unelected foreign billionaires to fund or influence its essential national functions&nbsp;These essential national functions must be managed internally, with local expertise, public consultation, and parliamentary oversight. Resorting to private individuals and foreign foundations undermines democratic governance and opens the door to unregulated influence. Sri Lanka is at grave risk of being pulled into this web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1.&nbsp; <strong>Corporate Interests Masquerading as Philanthropy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>Synthetic &amp; Processed Foods<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates has invested heavily in companies such as Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Apeel Sciences, and Ginkgo Bioworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These companies develop synthetic, lab-grown, and biofortified\u201d foods \u2013 products now being&nbsp;pushed through school meal programs backed by the Gates Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In India, criticism erupted when Gates-backed tech promoted fortified rice\u201d in government meals without proper allergy testing (Indian Express, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/fortified-rice-midday-meal-health-concerns-8575388\">https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/fortified-rice-midday-meal-health-concerns-8575388<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is this same rice being given in Sri Lanka?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Danger:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These foods can disrupt children\u2019s hormones, compromise immunity, and displace traditional, wholesome Sri Lankan diets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They create dependence on corporate food systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>GMO Seeds &amp; Agricultural Patents<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates holds patents through investment in Bayer\/Monsanto, Corteva, and other agritech giants. His Foundation promotes modern agriculture\u201d across Asia and Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Danger:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Patented seeds reduce biodiversity, degrade soil, undermine local farming traditions, and place small farmers in debt cycles.&nbsp;Food sovereignty is lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>Vaccines &amp; Biotech<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates is heavily invested in Pfizer, Moderna, BioNTech, and experimental vaccine platforms. His Foundation directs global vaccination strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Kenya, Gates Foundation-supported vaccine programs led to accusations of sterilization by Catholic doctors, later reported in a 2017 African journal (source: Kenya Catholic Doctors Association).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/news\/kenyan-doctors-find-un-tetanus-vaccine-causes-sterility\">https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/news\/kenyan-doctors-find-un-tetanus-vaccine-causes-sterility<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Danger:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In many countries, children have been part of low-transparency vaccine trials. Side effects are underreported. Patents ensure that access is controlled and profits centralized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>Digital ID, Surveillance &amp; Data Platforms<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through Microsoft, ID2020, GAVI and other initiatives, Gates promotes biometric digital identity linked to health and education systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ID2020\u2019s digital ID program in Bangladesh faced privacy concerns due to biometric data collection from children without informed parental consent (Privacy International, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/privacyinternational.org\/campaigns\/id-systems\">https:\/\/privacyinternational.org\/campaigns\/id-systems<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/news\/2020\/11\/12\/COVID-19-digital-ID-GAVI-World-Bank-Africa-Microsoft\">https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/news\/2020\/11\/12\/COVID-19-digital-ID-GAVI-World-Bank-Africa-Microsoft<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Danger:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children\u2019s personal and biometric data is harvested and stored by foreign private entities. This risks behavioral manipulation, surveillance, and lifelong profiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><u>Population Control Technologies<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates funds long-acting contraceptives and reproductive technologies under the guise of women\u2019s empowerment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Danger:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These programs have a history of coercive sterilization in poor countries. Under development\u201d language, ethnic and class-based population engineering is advanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Geoengineering &amp; Climate Manipulation Concerns<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates funds geoengineering experiments globally. Simply because there is no official evidence to prove weather manipulation in Sri Lanka, the sudden climate anomalies \u2013 rain followed by intense sun, unseasonal shifts \u2013 during foreign team visits raise public concern about tampering with weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2021\/03\/29\/1021476\/bill-gates-funds-scopex-geoengineering-project\">https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2021\/03\/29\/1021476\/bill-gates-funds-scopex-geoengineering-project<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Danger:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka has no legal protections or monitoring mechanisms to detect or prevent experimental weather engineering. These experiments may proceed without consent. These experiments may be taking place knowing there are no legal protections!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Aid as a Weapon \u2013 And Political Complicity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates-backed aid is not neutral. It is tied to policy demands that favor corporate control. Inexperienced or compromised politicians accept such aid without proper scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Result:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Education, food, health, and digital infrastructure fall under foreign influence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>National policymaking becomes dependent on private foundations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The public is shut out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Children, in particular, are exposed to untested digital systems, synthetic food, foreign-run education reforms, and medical interventions without full consent or oversight.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Dangers Specific to Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>School mealsmay become avenues for pushing synthetic or lab-grown foods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Digital educationplatforms collect children\u2019s behavioral and biometric data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agricultural reformsrisk displacing farmers, seeds, and food culture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Health projectsmay promote pharmaceutical dependency or sterilization programs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Climate resilience programsmay serve as cover for weather manipulation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All this without a single vote in Parliament. No consultation. No public debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>Gates Profits \u2013 Sri Lanka Pays<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates holds patents in almost every area his Foundation helps\u201d in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Synthetic food companies profit as traditional agriculture is replaced.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patented vaccines bring royalties even when trials are run in poor nations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Biometric data from children fuels AI and predictive systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once nations adopt these systems, they become locked into recurring costs, technology dependence, and surveillance ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not charity. It is long-term market capture disguised as philanthropy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gates has previously faced lawsuits, such as one filed in India (2009\u20132015) over vaccine trials on tribal girls, along with ongoing scrutiny from African watchdogs over digital identity rollouts and reproductive health programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are not conspiracy theories \u2014 but documented controversies underscoring the need for vigilance when similar programs are proposed in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/current-affairs\/bill-gates-india-vaccine-tribal-girls-controversy-117121200172_1.html\">https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/current-affairs\/bill-gates-india-vaccine-tribal-girls-controversy-117121200172_1.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>How to Protect Sri Lanka and Its Children<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lankans must immediately demand the Govt &amp; the Ministry of Education &amp; PM:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Discloseall Gates Foundation-related programs, contracts, and technologies in use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subjectall new foods, vaccines, education tools to independent, public evaluation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enactstrong legal safeguards on child biometric and behavioral data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rejectall agricultural reform plans that displace traditional farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demandparliamentary debate and public consultation before foreign-funded interventions in schools or health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Legal &amp; Accountability Note:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s sovereignty and the welfare of its children demand transparency, full disclosure, and independent scrutiny before any foreign involvement is permitted; these are matters of public interest and national concern, not personal defamation. Sri Lanka has the right to question foreign influence over children\u2019s welfare, especially when tied to profit-making enterprises. Independent investigations and scientific reviews are urgently required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Transparency and full public disclosure must be non-negotiable prerequisites for any foreign-funded intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These documented controversies are not conspiracy theories but verified cases demanding strict vigilance as Sri Lanka contemplates similar programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parliament must also consider&nbsp;legislating a moratorium&nbsp;on all foreign-funded interventions involving children, food systems, health, or education until full independent assessments and national consultations are completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <strong>The People cannot sit silent: the Future of Children is at stake:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Spread awareness using clear, culturally rooted messaging:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Protect Our Children. Defend Our Food. Preserve Our Independence.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mobilize clergy, educators, parents, and farmers to speak out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pressure MPs with letters, petitions, and organized town hall meetings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use social media, local language radio, and pamphlets to reach every village.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Form citizen watchdog networks to monitor foreign-funded programs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sri Lanka\u2019s children must never be used as test subjects for corporate agendas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our food, data, health, and culture are not for sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every parent, every teacher, every farmer, and every conscious citizen must rise and say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NO to corporate philanthropy disguised as help.<br>NO to unaccountable experiments on our children.<br>YES to sovereignty, tradition, and transparency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let this be the generation that defends Sri Lanka before it\u2019s too late. Let the vultures not prey on our children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Our Children Are Not Commodities. Our Nation Is Not For Sale.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>No Parliament and no politician can give our children or nation for experiments or sale.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shenali D Waduge In July 2025, Sri Lanka\u2019s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya met with Dr. Chris Elias, the Global Development Chair of the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation, to discuss child and maternal nutrition, agriculture, and digital education. The Foundation offered assistance for mid-day school meals, digital transformation, and education reform. On the surface, this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150690\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}