CDB Sisudiri Scholarships adds 100 more scholars this year

Having always believed that empowering the future of a nation would be the key driver to seeing the fruition of national goals, Citizens Development Business Finance PLC (CDB) has presented a total of 509 scholarships since 2008 to high achievers with financial difficulties who excel in Grade Five and GCE O/ Level examinations. In the last ten years, this CSR initiative by CDB, which has now invested Rs 21.7 Mn since the inception of this Sisudiri scholarship programme, has etched a pathway for marginalized and financially disadvantaged students continue their education devoid of interruption. This year, the number of scholarships were increased to 100 grants from the fifty presented annually for the last ten years, with sixty Grade Five scholars and forty students excelling at their O/Levels gaining financial empowerment to sustain their educational ambitions and career goals.

Reasoning that every nation must maximise on the immense potential that younger generations can contribute towards economic, social and environmental targets that are most often ambitious, CDB’s MD/ CEO Mahesh Nanayakkara says that it is young people who are single minded to meet the country’s vision. “This is why with the right knowledge, competencies and mindset, the nation can set for itself ambitious goals and be confident enough to meet them. We can do this only if we equip our young people with these fundamentals. By financially empowering them, we are assisting them to drive their personal goals, tagging these to industry objectives and pushing productivity levels to meet national ambitions. Our Sisudiri scholarships seek out not only the high achievers who have immense potential but those who may have challenges optimizing that potential due to financial difficulties. We bridge that gap with financial security.”