Baby Cheramy celebrates 50 years with ‘The big heart project’

Partners with the Department of Probation and Childcare to fund the education of children in need in Sri Lanka

Baby Cheramy, a trusted brand of leading Sri Lankan conglomerate Hemas Holdings PLC, celebrates 50 years of enriching lives of Sri Lankan mothers and children this year.  

Commemorating the brand’s milestone and promoting the importance of education among children in Sri Lanka, Baby Cheramy together with the Department of Probation and Childcare Services of the Ministry of Child Development and Women Affairs, launched the Big Heart Project, which will fund the education of disadvantaged children from across the country during the crucial first five years of schooling.  

Statistics indicate that nearly 8% of children in Sri Lanka aged between five to 14 years do not have access to continued education, even though compulsory education regulations have been in place in the country since 1998. According to the Department of Probation and Childcare Services, poverty, lack of parental care, parent migration, lack of education or awareness of the importance of education by parents are among the many factors depriving children of their education at the early stages of their lives.

The Baby Cheramy Big Heart Project will specifically fund children that are ‘at-risk’, or in danger of being institutionalised due to the financial inability of their families’ to care for them.

‘Big Heart Project’ will fund the education of such at-risk children with the purpose of providing much needed support to parents while ensuring these children remain in their care of their families.  

Speaking on the brand’s unique initiative to celebrate 50 years in Sri Lanka Marketing Manager Derrick Antony said, “With a rich heritage of over 50 years of serving the nation, Baby Cheramy aspires to continue its quest of enriching the lives of mothers and babies through the Big Heart Project.” Antony added, “We know that the greatest investment a parent makes in a child’s life is on their education.

They will commit to it, sacrificing their own comforts. We believe it is our responsibility as a brand that’s been with the country for so many years, to support the aspirations of these parents and provide a better future for their children, ensuring they remain in the care of their parents during the important early years of their lives.”

The Big Heart Project will be initiated under the Nena Diriya program of the Department of Probation and Childcare Services. Commenting on the initiative, Commissioner of the Department Yamuna Perera said, “Each child is born with the right for an education. But despite the free education system available in the country, poverty and lack of importance education receives as a result of family hardships, deprives children of this basic right. This program is designed to retain the children in their family environment. It provides financial assistance for their education during the most crucial years of their lives, relieving their family from this financial burden. We are extremely happy that Hemas through its well-known brand Baby Cheramy, has come forward to support such a worthy cause.”

Baby Cheramy will fund the education of children from across the country from Grade one to Grade five by contributing 50 cents from every Baby Cheramy product sold.

The Big Heart Project will further encourage likeminded Sri Lankans to open their hearts in support of this cause with an extensive all island awareness drive. A dedicated bank account for the public has been opened as Baby Cheramy plans to encourage additional donations for the Big Heart Project. The fund raising account under ‘Sevana Sarana Foster Parent Scheme’ (Account No: 174-1-001-1-9026268 at People’s Bank, Nugegoda branch) will be monitored by the Ministry of Child Development and Women Affairs.

Supporting this cause, former national cricketer Roshan Mahanama was invited to be the Project Ambassador for Big Heart Project.  He accepted the invitation on volunteer basis and said, “I am proud to represent this very noteworthy cause. It has been my lifelong dream to support and promote the education of children in Sri Lanka. A little gesture of kindness today can reap immense benefits in the future for these children. My ambition is to garner as much support, both locally and internationally for this cause.”