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Empowering the disabled in Sri Lanka:

GSK commits Rs 39 million

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has committed Rs 39 million to a new project to empower persons with disabilities in southern Sri Lanka.

The project will be planned and executed over three years by the Leonard Cheshire Disability Resource Centre (LCDRC) in partnership with GSK Pharmaceuticals Sri Lanka. This is the first project involving GSK and the Leonard Cheshire Disability in Sri Lanka.

The project intends to help about 700 persons with disabilities living in the Divisional Secretariat of Habaraduwa in the Galle District by promoting several key aspects.

These include vital health and rehabilitation programs that meet a wide range of needs of people with disabilities to reduce the impact of disability; innovative community based services that support persons with disabilities to live inter-dependent lives with others; disabled children’s right to a meaningful education; and sustainable livelihoods programs that focus on economic empowerment and self reliance.

The project also seeks to promote awareness and capacity building among right holders and duty bearers on disability and development and advocacy and campaigning to ensure, protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.

GSK Pharmaceuticals Sri Lanka Managing Director, Stuart Chapman said: “We are pleased to extend financial assistance and the equally-important moral support to efforts that seek to empower persons with disabilities in our community to live independently. GSK strongly believes that persons with disabilities also have the same rights to equal opportunities and access to be useful members of society.”

“We are confident that this project will help eliminate some of the attitudinal, environmental and institutional barriers to pave the way for a better quality of life with self esteem for persons with disabilities and their families,” he said.

The Program Director for the Leonard Cheshire Disability Resource Centre in Sri Lanka Jeevan Kodithuwakku, said the organization is grateful for the support of GlaxoSmithKline for this thoughtfully-structured project at a time when many corporate entities are scaling down their commitments in the face of the global economic downturn.

He said that the vision of LCDRC is to create an inclusive, barrier free and rights -based society for persons with disabilities. One of the key aspects of the project will be to empower 200 young persons with disabilities, to ensure, protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities, to lead a life of dignity through the ‘Young Voices’ project that seeks to open the door to tomorrow’s leaders.

He explained that it had been decided to select about 700 people as beneficiaries in this project to be empowered through the widely-accepted Community-Based Rehabilitation approach (CBR) over a three year period.

According to the figures in possession of the Leonard Cheshire Disability Resource Centre, five to six percent of the Sri Lankan population are persons with disabilities.

Coca-Cola Sri Lanka wins ‘Country of the Year’ award

Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited emerged ‘Country of the Year’ for 2008, winning the award among the countries belonging to the South African Bottling Company (SABCO), which is one of the key Coca-Cola partners in the world.

Competing among the other SABCO countries across the Asian and African continents, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka was awarded this recognition for its performance throughout the year 2008. In 2006 Sri Lanka was nominated the ‘Most Improved Country’ among the SABCO Group and was awarded with the ‘Country of the Year’ award in 2008.

The ‘Country of the Year’ selection is an annual process which seeks to evaluate and appraise the performance of the SABCO member countries based on predetermined criteria and the overall performance of the company.

This year Coca-Cola Sri Lanka was bestowed with the honour and prestige of being selected the ‘Country of the Year’ as a result of the company’s outstanding performance in the above criteria.

Country Manager for Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd Patrick Pech, said, “Coca-Cola Sri Lanka becoming the ‘Country of the Year’ among the SABCO Companies is indeed a great achievement for our company as well as for Sri Lanka as a country. CCBSL’s ability to achieve the goals and targets set out by the management through the effective administration of resources and skills has enabled us to be bestowed with this prestigious position today.

CCBSL will strive to continuously increase and enhance levels of performance while capturing all the opportunities with the dawn of an era of peace and harmony in Sri Lanka” he said.

Country Human Resources Manager, CCBSL Sarath Jayasinghe said, “this prestigious recognition for Coca-Cola Sri Lanka was won by its employees. It is the people who make the difference in terms of an organisation’s performance, as the material resources available to every organisation are similar except for the human factor.

I believe that the secret behind the success of our organisation is linked to three factors as outlined by Jim Collins, which are leadership with a long term vision, employing the best talent in the country and creating a value driven culture in the organisation.” he said.

Nations Leasing drops rates

Nations Leasing, the leasing arm of Nations Trust Bank launched a leasing facility targeted specifically for executives and professionals.

Through this package, the monthly rental for a five year lease of Rs. 100,000 will only cost Rs 2,734 including VAT. The Nations Professional Lease has been designed to suit the requirements of today’s busy corporate executives and professionals.

DGM SME Banking at Nations Trust Bank PLC Keshini Jayawardena said, “We are delighted to offer this new facility which we believe is possibly one of the lowest rates in the market.

We are confident that our customers will make ample use of this opportunity to enjoy this benefit. Nations Leasing has constantly reiterated its commitment to offer services that are convenient and to deliver simple yet dynamic services to our customers.”

This offer is limited until July 15.

Diploma awarding ceremony

Super International School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Madangala, Matale, conducting training courses in food and beverage operations in the hotel industry will award diplomas to students who had successfully completed their course at a function to be held at the Queen’s Hotel, Kandy on May 27.

The courses in hotel trade for youth were organized through the Distance Education Unit of the Ministry of Higher Education.