Business as a matter of human service

Saturday, 10 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Dilmah is synonymous with top quality tea. Not much is seen or heard about Dilmah’s massive CSR program unless one browses through the Dilmah websites. Recently I got a well-compiled publication detailing their projects on uplifting the lives of people and the effort they put in on conservation of the environment. Glancing through ‘The Story Behind Your Cup of Tea,’ I realised the massive investments Dilmah is making to make this a better to place to live. Impressive record The record is most impressive. The facts and figures in the book endorse the claim how their health, education and infrastructure projects have benefited 12,000 plantation families plus more children and adults elsewhere. Two thousand children in the Dilmah plantations are cared for through Child Development Centres. Educational scholarships have been given to 245 students in the plantations. Livelihood assistance has been provided to 200 families including 100 war widows in the north and east. That’s not all. The Dilmah Small Entrepreneur Program has supported 800 individuals. A total of 145 children and young adults from marginalised families have been given software training. Over 150 differently-abled children have been helped with special education, therapy and training. All this work is been done through the MJF Charitable Foundation which claims that it has changed the lives of a 100,000 underprivileged people. Making business a matter of human service ‘Making business a matter of human service’ is the underlying theme of the Foundation named after Dilmah founder, Merrill J. Fernando. It all started in the 1960s when the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility ‘was unheard of in Sri Lanka’s business world. Glancing through the pages of the book, I was impressed by the records of small-time entrepreneurs who have benefited from the Small Entrepreneurs Program (SEP).

Samantha, for example, was a former army soldier from Pahalalanda in Monaragala who deserted for a life of crime. He was caught and was jailed. He was an outcast in society once he came out of jail. He was given a sewing machine and overlock machine by the MJF Foundation and was soon the village tailor. He got his real big order from the Civil Defence Force unit in the area when he was asked to alter a large consignment of uniforms in a short period of time. He met the deadline by working pretty hard. Today he is a highly-respected community leader. He has got the Foundation to build a tank in the village and to set up an orange and pineapple plantation providing livelihood opportunities to 50 families in the area. They no longer need to walk several miles to work and they have enough water for their crops. Success story Sumith, also from a remote village in Monaragala District, was making yogurt in his kitchen. With the MJF Foundation’s help, now he has a flourishing yoghurt business as well as several allied products – milk toffees, savoury bites, ice lollypops and ghee oil. He used to make 10 cups of yoghurt with a litre of milk. Today his daily output is 750 cups of yoghurt and 800 pieces of milk toffees. He provides employment to 13 people including three widows who lost their husbands during the war. He buys milk from over 80 persons in the area. Sumadu Products are very popular and are noted for quality. The Foundation continues to assist him. Dilmah Engineering conceptualised and developed a machine to boil and cool the milk making his manufacturing process more efficient and quick. The custom built boiler has drastically reduced the use of firewood. The cooler unit maintains the temperature of the boiled milk. His mantra is simple: Develop the business, don’t substitute quality for quantity and help the people who need help. These are just two local heroes. There are many more thanks to the MJF Charitable Foundation.