Ensuring education and a brighter future for communities hit by CKDU

Iconic Sri Lankan multinational conglomerate, Hayleys PLC completed its sixth annual school supply distribution initiative for the 2020 academic year, as part of a long-standing commitment by the group to support rural communities in the North and North Central Provinces under the banner of its flagship ‘Puritas Sathdiyawara: Going Beyond’.

Enabled through contributions gathered across the group exceeding Rs.5 million, the initiative provided 14 essential items for over 2,600 schoolchildren, including fresh material for uniforms, stationery and exercise books sufficient for a full school year, as well as a new school bag and water bottle.

The distribution of school essentials project, which was launched with just three sectors of the group in 2014, has today expanded to include contributions from Haycarb PLC, Advantis, Hayleys PLC, Hayleys Fabric PLC, Dipped Products PLC, Aventura, Hayleys Agriculture, Alumex PLC and Mabroc Teas.

The group’s senior management and teams of enthusiastic employees travelled to 11 schools linked to the ‘Puritas Sathdiyawara: Going Beyond’ initiative. A special event was hosted by each school together with parents and students in order to thank the Hayleys team for the distribution of school supply packs.

“Puritas Sathdiyawara was launched in order to provide urgent relief to communities impacted by the chronic kidney disease (CKD) through the establishment of reverse osmosis (RO) water purification plants that provide clean drinking water. In the following years, Hayleys is proud to have contributed towards enhancing the health, livelihoods and education in every Sathdiyawara community.

“The transformations that we have witnessed as a result of these efforts have been truly remarkable and it has been heartwarming for myself personally to learn of the powerful positive impact that these projects continue to have on the lives of these communities. We believe programmes like ‘Puritas Sathdiyawara: Going Beyond’ hold the key to fostering growth and creating opportunities at the grassroots of our society. That is why moving forward, Hayleys remains fully committed to uplifting and empowering these communities by ensuring that their most essential needs are well looked after,” Hayleys Chairman and Chief Executive Mohan Pandithage stated.

Since its inception, ‘Puritas Sathdiyawara: Going Beyond’ has supported approximately 10,700 students and has been privileged to witness the fruition of its efforts with a marked increase in attendance and an increase in the number of students taking national scholarship exams as well as Ordinary and Advanced Level exams. Notably, lifting the burden of expenses related to uniforms and school supplies has also contributed towards reducing drop outs.

Hayleys distributed school supply packs across 11 schools linked to Sathdiyawara communities in Rathmalgahawewa, Neriyakulan, Balayawewa, Maithripura, Ananthapuram, Meegassegama, Pahalakeditokkuwa, Nelumwewa – Welikanda, Parangiyawadiya, Pihimbiyagollewa and Dutuwewa.

The ‘Puritas Sathdiyawara: Going Beyond’ programme is also designed to incorporate UNSDGS through its many initiatives to reduce poverty, provide opportunities for a quality education, create awareness on gender equality and work towards reduced inequalities.

The project also added another component to its initiatives within the Sathdiyawara communities with the distribution of saplings to students to create awareness of the importance of protecting and nurturing the environment.

Consequently, each school was also provided 20-25 saplings, which will be managed and nurtured by the students who are to hand over the responsibilities to junior students when they leave school.

To date ‘Puritas Sathdiyawara’ has invested over Rs.64 million to construct 16 RO plants to provide clean drinking water to the North and North Central provinces of Sri Lanka, fully sponsored by different sectors of the Hayleys group.

The programme has also set up model organic farms, provided training on effective waste management and educated residents on turning waste into profits, thereby creating new livelihood opportunities. At present the group plans to open a further five RO plants in the coming months across the Badulla district.