Ceylinco Life's school infrastructure development project

Ceylinco Life's community initiative to support education in under-served towns and villages across Sri Lanka reached a milestone recently, with the donation of a classroom to the Damunupola Primary School in Galigamuwa, Kegalle, the 50th school assisted by the life insurance leader.

The school, which accommodates 182 students, was one of four schools to receive classrooms from Ceylinco Life since July this year, as the company's schools infrastructure project entered its eighth year.

Other recipients in this latest phase of the programme were the Batukanna Primary School in Uragasmanhandiya, Ambalangoda (128 students), the Sudarshana Bodhi Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura (140 students) and the Hewessa Primary School in Matugama (412 students).

Work has begun on classrooms for another five schools, which will receive the completed buildings in 2013, the company said.

"Supporting education, especially in rural areas, has been one of the principal CSR activities of Ceylinco Life, because we, more than most businesses, are exposed to the needs of communities across the country," Ceylinco Life's Managing Director and CEO R. Renganathan said.

"Our work forges relationships at family level, and we have a unique opportunity to understand priorities at macro and micro level."

Commencing with a classroom built for the Tissa Primary School in Lunugamvehera in 2004, Ceylinco Life's schools infrastructure project has traversed the length and breadth of Sri Lanka, assisting schools in diverse locations such as Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the north and east of the island; Embilipitiya, Deniyaya and Kamburupitiya in the south; Bandarawela, Haputale, Kandy and Matale in the hill country, and Anurdhapura, Moneragala and Anamaduwa.

Of the 50 projects completed, 44 involved the construction of classrooms; four were water supply projects and the company also built a laboratory building and a library.

Ceylinco Life defines its Corporate Social Responsibility as 'The continuing commitment of the company to create a sustainable business environment even in the remotest areas of the country through meaningful interventions in areas such as healthcare and education for needy people, while providing protection and financial security of the highest quality.'

Besides contributing to the development of infrastructure in needy schools, the company also funds and coordinates a series of free medical camps across the country each year under its 'Waidya Hamuwa' (meet the doctor) programme, conducts a series of educational workshops for pregnant mothers and organises blood donation campaigns in collaboration with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).