In brief

Dialog Telekom Change Trust partners Varam Lanka for youth self-employment

Dialog Telekom and Varam Sri Lanka joined hands recently in a youth self-employment initiative at Varam Welfare Centres in Hikkaduwa, Dadella and Galle. The Welfare Centres have provided job skills training for young people and will now include a paper recycling operation which was funded by the Dialog Telekom Change Trust.

The Recycling and hand-made paper operation will be part of a greeting card making program, which has been in existence for about a year. Through the new additions the program will now include training in making the recycled paper used for greeting cards and training in screen-printing which will also be used in the card making process.

In providing for this extension of the card making program, the Dialog Change Trust funded a new building while also providing for the paper making equipment and furniture.

Founder of Varam Sri Lanka Prof. Harendra De Silva said, "Through Varam Sri Lanka we are focused on empowering a segment of society that till now went unseen and unheard. Through the welfare centres we are not only giving alternative livelihood option to many young people we also strive to build their soft skills through enhancing their creative talents.

Having the support of a corporate citizen such as Dialog Telekom not only empowers us in terms of funding but also gives recognition to an impending socio-economic issue while providing solutions."

DFCC Vardhana Bank signs MoU with Sri Lanka Post

DFCC Vardhana Bank (Vardhana), the everyday banking unit of DFCC Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sri Lanka Post (SL Post).

The bank will set up a series of banking units at SL Post Offices across the country, to offer customers many Commercial and Personal Financial Services offered by Vardhana.

The MoU was signed by the Post Master General and the Managing Director/CEO of Vardhana.

Under the MoU, the bank will provide commercial banking facilities to a large segment of the population through the SL Post network.

The bank aims to focus on providing formal banking facilities to the rural areas of the country through the extensive network of postal and sub-post offices.

Additionally, Western Union's appointment of Vardhana as their central collection account to facilitate Western Union transactions within SL Post offices is a crucial initiative for the bank's efforts to commence commercial banking activities within SL Post Offices.

Sinhaputhra Finance in Kandy

The Mayor of Kandy, the Deputy Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner opened the Sinhaputhra Finance Building in Kandy. The Chairman, Ravana Wijeyeratne thanked the KMC and the UDA for their trust and confidence to complete the building in a timely manner.

He thanked the Mayor for completing construction work in conformity with the standards laid down for the heritage city and Sanken Lanka's Kandy operation Kandy Ready Mix for their fine work.