Unilever- Pears ‘Safe Hands’ CSR initiative cradles millions of lives across the country

Unilever Ceylon this week handed over the renovated and furbished Pediatric Wards of the Jaffna Hospital recently with an investment of Rs. 7 million.

Unilever. Brand Manager – Pears Nadee Wickramasinghe said:

“The Pediatric Wards of Jaffna Teaching Hospital were initially renovated under the ‘Safe Hands’ programme in 2003, but the infrastructure deteriorated very badly as a result of the conflict situation that arose later. When we visited the hospital post-war, we discovered that the place needed lot more attention than in the past and infused the highest measure of resources and funds we have ever funneled for a ‘Safe Hands’ project.” The fund is financed by channeling 25 cents from each Pears product that is sold. This is the 17th project under the Unilever Pears ‘Safe Hands’ project.

The Unilever -  Pears ‘Safe Hands’ CSR initiative continues to touch the lives of millions of mothers and children across Sri Lanka, highlighting the social value the private sector can add to society with well deliberated initiatives.

The Pears ‘Safe Hands’ initiative that commenced on 1 October 2002, on World Children’s Day, is an attempt by the most experienced baby toiletries brand in  Sri Lanka to create social wealth by improving facilities in the maternity, neonatal and pediatric wards of government hospitals. The Pears ‘Safe Hands’ project is a self-funded CSR initiative. The fund is financed by channeling 25 cents from each Pears product that is sold.

Ramani Samarasundera, Marketing Director Unilever, said, “When embarking on CSR initiatives, we critically explore the strategic fit of the project with the existing needs of society so that it bestows tangible and lasting social wealth on the masses. As such we have identified maternal and pediatric care as a core area in need of support, as this is the threshold of future Sri Lanka”. Samarasundera also stated that, through this initiative, Pears has managed to relate to the mothers of Sri Lanka, thereby reinforcing and stabilizing the position of Pears as a key baby care brand in the market.

Pears Safe Hands project team consults Sri Lanka College of Pediatricians prior to undertaking any projects under the Safe Hands initiative. This way they collectively identify the most deserving hospitals that need to be upgraded.

The first ‘Safe Hands’ project was carried out by refurbishing and renovating the Emergency Treatment and Nebulization Unit of Lady Ridgeway hospital. During the past 10 years 16 ‘Safe Hands’ projects have been conducted in government hospitals situated in rural areas, as well as special Tsunami rehabilitation projects in the Southern Province with a contribution of Rs. 32 million,  embracing more than 2 million lives across the country.

The latest project undertaken by the ‘Safe Hands’ initiative is the renovation of Pediatric wards of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital.