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The Hemas Group last week initiated a community service project - 'Piyawara' in association with the Ministry of Social Welfare and pledged Rs. 5 million towards the project over the next two- years.

'Piyawara' is a public-private sector initiative, which seeks to promote higher standards of early childhood development, by setting up model centres and creating awareness throughout Sri Lanka.

This project will upgrade and develop eight government-run pre-schools in Jaffna, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Matale, Badulla, Polonnaruwa, Ratnapura and Matara. These schools will be upgraded to 'Model Resource Centres' in their respective districts.

Hemas CEO, Husein Esufally said: "The launch of Piyawara aims to better utilise available resources to bring immediate benefits towards promoting early childhood development in Sri Lanka."

He said that the Rs 5 million allocated by the company for this project over the next two-years would be utilised towards providing learning equipment, upgrading toilet and drinking water facilities, providing safe and pleasant play areas, conducting regular health checks for the children and pre-natal health camps for parents in the selected centres. Another key area that will be focussed on is the training of pre-school teachers so that the children will get the best possible care. This has already commenced with 20 teachers from chosen pre-schools at an eleven-day residential workshop and programme conducted by the Ministry of Social Welfare last month. Some of the teachers from the North and East visited Colombo for the first time in their lives.

It is hoped that the parents of the children will also be made to play an important role in this project through Parent-Teacher Associations, Esufally said, thus ensuring the sustenance of the initiative.

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