Seylan Bank helps children in need in Helambewa, Nochchiyagama

As its popular slogan ‘The Bank with a Heart’ proves, Corporate Social Responsibility was never a new concept for Seylan Bank Plc, which has been a household name in Sri Lanka for the past two-and-a-half decades. So it was not surprising when its Human Resource Department, in coordination with its Nochchiyagama and Anuradhapura branches, reached out to the outskirts of the Anuradhapura District.

Helambewa Junior School is located in Helambewa, which is about 30 km away from Anuradhapura. It has 53 students from Grade 1 to 9, hailing from farmer families, and was in dire need of assistance to improve basic facilities and infrastructure. Thus, it seemed only appropriate, when the very people of the bank who deal with their human resources added a human touch by providing library facilities to this remote school recently. They opted to venture into this isolated village, which is at constant peril of elephant attacks, by donating furniture, computers, paint and over 500 books towards the library.

The staff spent a meaningful day at Galadivulwewa, ignoring warnings of concerned villagers of a possible elephant invasion, by setting up the library, conducting an art competition with the kids and a sing-a-long session with the entire village that joined the inaugural ceremony. Educational toys and stationery items were distributed to all the village kids who were present at the event.

Later, the village priest, Rev. Pahalagama Jinaratne Thero, who is also the Principal of the school, expressed his decision to make this school library available to the entire village. The bank’s sustainability team now wishes to go beyond and extend their helping hand by initiating a Village Adoption Programme to Helambewa. To symbolise this, the staff donated books to the village temple and the Don Bosco Foundation in Nochchiyagama as well.