Sampath Bank initiates youth empowerment

Sampath Bank, the pioneer in innovation in the banking sector and a socially responsible corporate citizen has joined hands with the AIESEC local committee of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura to promote youth empowerment in the country.

Sampath Bank’s Managing Director Aravinda Perera and University of Sri Jayawardenapura Vice Chancellor Dr. N.L.A. Karunarathna announced the partnership at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) held at the bank’s auditorium this year. Since then a total of 18 events have been held allocating six each for Leadership Campaigns, Sessions and Special Projects during the period 22 January to 29 March.

Commenting on the success of the CSR initiative, a representative from Sampath Bank said that the Bank was proud to be engaged in a collaborative partnership with the Sri Jayawardenapura University in monitoring and guiding the youth empowerment projects island wide. “As a country’s leading banking partner, Sampath Bank attaches great importance to initiatives aimed at contributing to the country’s progress and development in all arenas.”

Sampath Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is based on the 5E model, falling under the theme ‘Education for Development’. Shifting from Voluntary CSR to Obligatory CSR, the bank has introduced various mechanisms to enhance employee engagement, aligning all CSR initiatives with core business objectives and core competencies. Here the bank spreads out bank level CSR projects in rural and semi urban sectors and focuses on small and medium scale projects to share the benefit with a greater number of beneficiaries. This is being done via developing partnerships, strategic agreements and industry collaboration with respective bodies.  

The programs implemented so far have been conducted by talented undergraduates from the Sri Jayawardenapura University and 11 qualified foreign interns from Bosnia, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Pakistan, Russia and Ukraine.

Under the theme Ample Path of Inspiration (API), the first such Leadership Training Campaign kicked off successfully at Thurstan College on 22 January while the first CSR program was conducted on 6 March at the National Cancer Hospital, Maharagama.

Several sessions on Leadership Training held at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura covered topics such as Corporate World, Social Dancing, Documentary Writing, Presentation and Public Speaking and Social Etiquette. The other Leadership Training Campaigns targeted at the Prefects’ Guild and selected senior students were held at Dharmapala College; Rajarata College, Higurakgoda;  Rippon College, Galle; Walagedara Central College, Matugama and Subarathi College, Godagama.

The second and third CSR projects were held at Mihidu Seth Medura, Attiditya and Mount Lavinia Beach (Beach cleaning up).  The scheduled events ended with a CSR in Adams Peak where the sacred mountain area was cleaned and interns were given a taste of Sri Lanka’s religious culture.