Singer partners Ministry of Education to improve home science education in schools

A home-cooked meal is at the heart of a healthy family, providing wholesome nutritional goodness. For generations, the mother has been in charge of her family’s diet, ensuring that they receive the nourishment they need to thrive. However, social and economic changes have resulted in women having less time to cook for their loved ones. Balanced diets have been replaced with unhealthy fast food, leading to an epidemic of unhealthy lifestyles, obesity and malnutrition. 

In an effort to educate Sri Lankans on the importance of better nutrition, while giving them access to the knowledge and tools they need to change their lives, Singer Sri Lanka joined the Ministry of Education to launch the ‘Singer Soopa Shasthra Vedamuluwa’ program earlier this year. The program leverages Home Science classes in schools across the country to spread the message of healthy cooking and eating. By providing guidance on using modern kitchen appliances to create nutritious meals in less time, the program empowers Sri Lankan families hoping to cook right and eat right. 

In order to create real and sustainable change, the first phase of the program focused on educating Regional Directors and Assistant Directors at the Ministry of Education on the initiative’s objectives and Singer’s means of achieving them. Thereafter, workshops were organised across the island for eight hundred Home Science teachers, where they were taught about the latest kitchen appliances and time-saving, nutrition-maximising cooking methods, all in line with the national curriculum. 

Students will also receive hands-on training on modern kitchen appliances at Singer showrooms island-wide. By the end of the year, Singer is set to have provided training to over 1,000 schools around the country. Adding further value to the initiative, the company also donated Singer kitchen appliances and equipment worth Rs. 30,000 each to 150 less equipped schools recently. The donations were handed over to school principals by Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Singer Group Chief Executive Officer Asoka Pieris at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Education. 

A total of 250 selected schools throughout the island will receive Singer kitchen appliances and equipment by the end of the year, helping to strengthen Sri Lankan food education while empowering thousands of Sri Lankan girls. 

Speaking about the ‘Singer Soopa Shasthra Vedamuluwa’ program, Pieris emphasised, “It is an incredibly important initiative for Singer.” He said that “our objective is to create a strong, sustainable foundation for teaching children about food, inspiring them to cook, and supporting them in their future roles as mothers.” As the leader in Sri Lanka’s consumer durables industry, Singer “is at the forefront of culinary trends and can leverage (its) expertise to provide guidance to Sri Lankan children everywhere,” Pieris continued. By delivering the world’s best brands and appliances to Sri Lankan households, and now schools, the company enhances lifestyles and improves quality of life.

By showing students how cooking can be made easier and more satisfying through the latest kitchen appliances, Singer aims to return the home-cooked meal to its rightful place at the heart of the modern, healthy Sri Lankan family. The retailer’s range of appliances enables easier, faster and more exciting cooking techniques, making cooking less of an everyday chore by providing time management solutions for today’s busy woman. This dedication to uplifting Sri Lankan living standards has been recognised time and time again, with Singer earning ‘People’s Brand of the Year’ for 10 consecutive years. The company is also one of the 10 ‘Best Corporate Citizens’ in the country.