Operating in a knowledge-driven industry and recognising the significance of empowering youth with broader trickle-down benefits to permeate across the nation, youth empowerment is identified and prioritised under our social responsibility strategy. This reporting year, we initiated a scholarship programme at the tertiary education level. We structured a unique and transparent selection process in collaboration with twenty of our leading Sanasa societies. We organised a quiz competition, ‘Manasa Wadana Sanasa’ for talented students who have successfully completed the GCE Advanced Level, but, who have not been eligible to enter national universities. Under this quiz programme, we held number of competition rounds for twenty teams of three young people. The winning team was awarded scholarships to study at the Sanasa Campus and follow a four-year degree programme of their choice in banking and finance, insurance and risk management or regional science and planning. The next three teams who won the runners-up titles were given scholarships to follow the diploma programmes offered by the campus. All degree programmes and diplomas are accredited under the University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka. We invested Rs. 450,000 on a degree scholarship and Rs. 100,000 for a diploma scholarship.

We also organised our annual ‘Nelum Mal Pujawa’ on the first Saturday of January, the new year, where we offer lotus flowers to the Ruwanweli Maha Seya and Jaya Siri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura to invoke blessings on the organisation, Sanasa societies, our employees, customers and communities. Our Chairman, the directorate, management and members of the societies along with employees across the network participated at this event. The highlight of this event was that members and employees from different ethnic and religious beliefs also participated in the spirit of embracing diversity and spreading harmony within the organisation.