The original founders of PALM were Natascha Sennema, who lived and worked in Sri Lanka as a private development worker and Sjoerd Oppewal, from Holland, who both had a grassroots vision to uplift the poor and downtrodden.

Sjoerd visited Sri Lanka for the adoption of his daughter. Natascha is still a Board member of Palm India.

The Dutch well wishers were enthusiastic and commenced an official Foundation in the Netherlands in 1984, to financially support the administration, running costs and many projects in Sri Lanka, for a period of almost 20 years.