- Providing nutritious mid-day meals to 700 students from 13 schools in 6 districts
- First in a series of community and environment focused initiatives for 2023
Haycarb PLC, a subsidiary of the Hayleys Group kicked off its 50th anniversary commemoration by launching ‘Sisu Divi Pahana’: a programme to provide nutritious mid-day meals for 700 students in 13 schools across Madampe, Badalgama, Wewalduwa, Kaluthra, Mahiyanganaya, Padaviya and Batticaloa.
A global leader in high-value activated carbon solutions, Haycarb has chosen to mark its business operations milestone with a series of initiatives aimed at responding to the essential needs of communities and vital eco-systems across Sri Lanka – the first being a mid-day meals programme for underprivileged schools.
“Our nation’s future depends entirely on our ability to provide for the needs of our children. Yet in the face of an unprecedented economic downturn, a substantial number of families in Sri Lanka are being compelled to reduce meals for their children. Many faces acute malnourishment or must stay away from school because their parents are being forced to make very tough financial decisions.
“We believe it is the urgent collective responsibility of all Sri Lankans to come forward and provide whatever help we can to help our communities sustain themselves through this difficult time. With the launch of Sisu Divi Pahana, we recommit ourselves to the values and 50-year legacy of our organisation in driving value and changing lives, by fueling the young minds of our next generation,” Haycarb PLC Managing Director, Rajitha Kariyawasan said.
Funding for Haycarb Sisu Divi Pahana initially raised directly by Haycarb PLC, with employees subsequently joining in with their own voluntary contributions. All proceeds will be channeled into the preparation of balanced, healthy daily meals for each schoolchild, with all meals being prepared in partnership with community partners in the vicinity of the schools.
“We are very grateful to Haycarb for their decision to sponsor meals for our students. Having taught here for the past decade, I have seen that at least half of our innocent children face extreme poverty. Especially with the recent troubles, many of them come to school after only having a cup of tea for breakfast. With all of these limitations, it has been difficult to provide these children with a propereducation. On behalf of the parents and students, we wish to thank Haycarb for their generous, lifesaving donation,” Gonawila Nalawalana Kanishta Vidyalaya Principal, S. M Sumith Jayarathna said.
Each school was chosen based on their need for assistance, and the availability of personnel to oversee food quality and monitoring. Daily monitoring of meals ensures strict quality and accordance with the daily nutritional requirements which are based on a balanced diet as recommended by the Ministry of Health.
The project is also aligned with the broader targets and social commitments of the Hayleys Lifecode – a group-wide framework for advancing progress on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, including a 50% increase in community beneficiaries by 2030.