Unilever helps develop North

Unilever Sri Lanka has invested Rs. 3 m to renovate 20 wells in the Vavuniya district. The first two renovated wells were handed over to the village of Kokeliya on June 4 by Chairman Amal Cabraal. 18 more wells will be renovated and restored across several villages in the Vavuniya district. "We chose to provide good sources of clean water to these communities help them rebuild their livelihoods because human life is centred on water. There is a good fit between what the community requires and our business, making our support sustainable', said Cabraal. The wells were restored by the villagers themselves, with Unilever providing material, machinery and financial support.

In yet another project in the North, one of Unilever's key brands Surf Excel led the effort to develop 8 schools in the Mannar and Vavuniya districts at a cost of Rs. 5.5 m. Surf Excel's social mission is to help children fulfil their full potential by enjoying the freedom to express themselves. If children are to develop in a holistic manner, they must be allowed to experiment and express their creativity both at study and at play.

Unilever Sri Lanka's Surf Excel provided these schools with playgrounds, access to clean water, art rooms and amenities, touching the lives of thousands of children. The new facilities were officially handed over to the school authorities in a ceremony held in the first week of June.

Surf Excel also organised competitions for the children of these schools to unearth latent talent, helping them learn, develop and achieve their full potential.

Unilever's baby care brand, Pears, in conjunction with the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians renovated the paediatric wards of the Cheddikulam and Vavuniya hospitals, providing improvements to the health care facilities for mothers and infants at a cost of Rs. 5.4 m. The refurbished hospitals were handed over to hospital authorities on May 5 and 6 this year.

Since it was set up seven years ago, Rs. 27.5 m has been invested through the Pears Safe Hands Fund to uplift the health care standards in Sri Lanka, touching over 1 million lives.