Southern environmental projects:

Schools, Secretariats in a big way

Fifteen National Schools in Tissamaharama, Beliatta, Ambalantota and three Divisional Secretariats of the hambantota districts have been selected for the second phase of the National Pioneer Project of Sustainable Environmental Protection and Enhancement through schools, which is led by the Federation of Wildlife Conservation Environmental Program Unit.

Here the related agreement being exchanged between the Executive Director of National Savings Bank, W.H. Piyadasa with the Executive Director, Nishantha Bandara of Federation of Wildlife Conservation. Shantha Kulatunga, Head Corporate, Project (FWC), Miss. Gayathri Wickramasinghe, Assistant Accountant, Community Program (FWC), H.M. Hennayake Bandara, Additional General Manager (NSB), H.M. Dhammika Perera, Senior Deputy General Manager (NSB), Jagath Gamanayake, Deputy General Manager (NSB) are also in the picture.

The proposed activities will be done by the school environmental pioneer brigades representing all the schools which are engaged in the relevant programs. Model forestation, organic, farming practice, maintenance of medical plant conservation centers, garbage recycle and compost production, providing a eco library which covers up all the environmental subjects in order to improve the knowledge of the students are some of them. Supply of environmental notice boards in order to demonstrate student's creative skills and abilities and a computer with all components for enhancing the communication and information technology among the students are another services. Specially, parallel to the program, the saving accounts scholarships win be offered to the environmental pioneer brigades in evaluating their activities.

The guidance for this program is provided by the Presidential Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The Central Environmental Authority, Department of forest Conservation, Department of Ayurvedic, Department of Agriculture are other Government sectors which will provide their constant support.

Specially, the sponsorship provided for this conservation task is done by the National Savings Bank, the pioneer in the national savings sector. The official sponsorship for this was done at the National Savings Bank head office on the 29th of September 2009.