Ceylinco Life restores ancient tank in Ampara

After more than a century of looking heavenward for the rain that sustained life and agriculture, a farming community in Sri Lanka's Ampara District has been given new hope with the restoration of an ancient irrigation tank by Ceylinco Life.

Kohombagasthalawa tank

Built by King Saddhatissa, the Kohombagasthalawa tank near Aranthalawa was the main source of water in the area in ancient times. The tank has now been restored to its ancient glory and its sparkling waters have brought smiles to the faces of some 500 families, thanks to the life insurance leader.

Conducted as one of the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of Ceylinco Life, the reconstruction of the Kohombagasthalawa tank began in August 2008. The reconstructed tank was handed over to villagers recently at a simple yet moving ceremony. "This was an area affected by the conflict, and now it is imperative to help boost local agriculture and uplift farmers' living standards," Ceylinco Life's AGM - Marketing Samitha Hemachandra said. "The villagers in Kohombagasthalawa had to depend on rain water for drinking as well as farming and this initiative has given them a new lease of life." Along with the handing over of the tank to the community, Ceylinco Life released 10,000 fish to the tank to further support the villagers.

The villagers of the Kohombagasthalawa had to walk long distances to fetch water or had to dig deep into the earth to find water.

The village owns nearly 150 acres of land that can be used for the cultivation of paddy, maize, manioc and chillies.

"Paddy cultivation was done only in the Maha season when we received enough rain. Many farmers had obtained loans for their cultivation but then faced problems in repaying them as they were not able to go ahead with their cultivation due to lack of rain," a villager of Kohombagasthalawa said. "Thanks to Ceylinco Life, we can now cultivate both the Yala and Maha seasons without praying for rain."

The total cost for the restoration project was Rs.2.5 million. The project was executed under the supervision of staff from Ceylinco Life's Head Office, the staff of the Ampara branch and the Irrigation Department.

Unveiling of a commemorative plaque in the presence of Ceylinco Life’s Senior Manager (Events and Commercials) H. A. Suraweera (left).

Ceylinco Life defines its Social Responsibility as "The continuing commitment of the company to create a sustainable business environment even in the remotest areas of the country through meaningful interventions in areas such as healthcare and education for needy people, while providing protection and financial security of the highest quality." One of Ceylinco Life's key CSR initiatives is 'Waidya Hamuwa,' a series of free medical camps conducted each year.

The company has also conducted a series of blood donation camps across the country in collaboration with the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS). Using the infrastructure and logistics capabilities developed for its 'Waidya Hamuwa' programme, the company has conducted 15 blood donation camps to date and collected 1,500 pints of blood for the NBTS.

The company's Schools Development Project begun last year has to date benefited six rural schools for which the company has built classrooms and donated furniture and other needs.

Ceylinco Life retained its position as the life insurance market leader at the end of 2008 with premium income of Rs. 8.2 billion.

The company's life fund stood at Rs. 21 billion as at December 31, 2008, and its solvency margin was five times that required by statute.