John Keells Foundation Archives

April 29, 2024

Launched in 2004, the John Keells English Language Scholarship Programme (JKELSP) marks its 20th anniversary of enhancing the English language skills of schoolchildren and youth across Sri Lanka. This flagship initiative under JKF’s Education focus aims to empower children and youth from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds with English, IT, and career skills towards improving their higher education and career opportunities in today’s competitive world. Aligned with national priorities, initiatives under the programme have been implemented in all the provinces of the country.

Implemented in collaboration with Gateway Language Centre, JKELSP has evolved significantly, introducing various educational pathways tailored to meet the diverse needs of its beneficiaries. Commencing with a 2-year EdExcel Diploma in 2004, the programme has moved on to include a range of courses, such as foundation-level, pre and post-advanced level programmes for school children, Immersion Camps for university students, and customised programmes for Persons with Disabilities and working adults.

At the heart of JKELSP lies its flagship initiative, “English for Teens,” offering over 800 scholarships annually to students aged 12-14 from mid-range government schools nominated by the principals of the respective schools and selected through a placement test. Learning outcomes are benchmarked via both a course-end examination and English Day events. High-performing scholars have the opportunity for natural progression to advanced levels.

Commenting on JKELSP’s milestone, Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of CSR of the John Keells Group, stated, “It is heartening to see the strides that JKELSP has made over the past two decades, impacting the lives of 20,931 persons from various parts of the country. The greater satisfaction is in witnessing how this programme has become a pathway for our scholars to confidently pursue their university education and/or careers of choice.”

Nirodh De Silva, a scholarship recipient of the Total Immersion Camp for undergraduates at the University of Moratuwa shares his experience “I was a kid who was afraid to speak in English in public. After joining the John Keells English Language Scholarship Programme, I was able to overcome my fear. Now I’m a confident public speaker. The programme was an incredible opportunity for me to develop my social skills and situation handling skills. The teachers and John Keells Foundation offered many opportunities where I had to work in teams, and it helped me become the best version of myself.”

March 26, 2024

John Keells Foundation (JKF), in collaboration with the Scaling Up Nutrition People’s Forum (SUN PF), successfully initiated a series of nutritional awareness sessions, as part of the ongoing School Nutrition Programme, targeting ten selected schools in the John Keells Praja Shakthi locations of Colombo 02 and Ja-Ela. The programme is aimed at fostering nutrition awareness and promoting sustainable practices such as school gardening to complement the school meal programme implemented previously.

Awareness sessions were conducted from 5th to 7th March 2024 in two schools in Colombo 2 and during the period of 16th to 27th February 2024 in five schools in Ja-Ela, following a well-received session held in December 2023, in two schools in Colombo 2 benefiting a diverse audience of 1,211 students, teachers and parents.

The School Meal Programme, implemented by JKF in partnership with businesses of the John Keells Group as part of the Group’s Crisis Response Initiatives, saw the need for sustainable practices which led to the pilot of a school gardening project in A.E. Gunasinghe School in Colombo 12 in collaboration with the Divisional Secretariat of Colombo that is continuing successfully to date. In July 2023, JKF entered into a strategic collaboration with SUN PF to launch the School Nutrition Programme. This was preceded and followed by extensive engagement with key educational officials at the Provincial and Zonal levels, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Health to facilitate a multi-stakeholder collaboration. An orientation programme for key stakeholders was conducted in October 2023 which included officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, school principals, Health Promotion Bureau, World Vision Lanka and World Food Programme.

“We learned a lot about having a balanced diet today. We were taught important things like reducing salt, eating more green vegetables, and avoiding instant foods and sodas. I found this session very helpful, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with my mother when I get home!” – Grade 9 student from T.B Jayah Zahira College, Colombo 2.

Plans are in progress for the establishment of school gardens subject to space availability in schools. Support for setting up and initiating planting in these gardens will be provided by JKF and SUN PF with active participation of the school authorities, students, and parents in the form of implementation and maintenance. The produce from the school gardens is expected to be utilised for school meals.

The nutritional awareness programme is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasising health and well-being, inclusive and equitable quality education, and fostering partnerships, outlined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Health is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 18 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the fourth consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

February 28, 2024

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The Gratiaen Trust, in partnership with the John Keells Foundation, hosted ‘Writing the Malaiyaha Tamils’, an event which focused on the creativity and critical conversations surrounding Malaiyaha Tamil literature. Rarely does Malaiyaha literature get highlighted in public literary events in Sri Lanka, and this daylong event, held at the Jaffna Public Library Auditorium on 25^th February 2024, filled this gap. The event also took its place amongst the many commemorations held to mark the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Malaiyaha Tamils to the island of Ceylon as indentured workers under British colonial rule. The anniversary fell in 2023.

‘Writing the Malaiyaha Tamils’ served as a platform to delve into the literary and cinematic creativity, experiences, aspirations, and struggles of the Malaiyaha Tamil community in Sri Lanka. Writers from Malaiyaham participated at the daylong event, presenting papers and sharing excerpts from their works. A poignant dance performance by Dhanarajh, a dancer and instructor at the Jaffna University which depicted the profound experiences of the Malaiyaha Tamil community, captivated the audience.

A highlight of the seminar was a panel discussion focusing on representations of Malaiayaha Tamils in Tamil, Sinhala, and English writings from Sri Lanka, shedding light on diverse perspectives and narratives within the country’s literary landscape. Additionally, attendees had the privilege of experiencing Sivamohan Sumathy’s acclaimed film ‘Ingirunthu’, which offers an insightful portrayal of the Malaiyaha Tamil community through both individual and collective experiences located in colonial and postcolonial times.

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, a member of the Gratiaen Trust who attended the seminar in Jaffna noted that the seminar was inclusive and informative, meeting the goals of the Trust which is to promote literary dialogue and an exchange of ideas between communities. He added that the Trust hopes that this seminar will serve as an early step on the path to a Sri Lanka, of and for all its people. In a joint statement, Co-Chairpersons of the Gratiaen Trust, Nafeesa Amirudeen and Nisreen Jafferjee stated, “The Gratiaen Trust’s key objective is to help unlock the imaginative potential of young writers and artists. Sri Lanka has a rich and diverse literary tradition, and the Gratiaen Trust seeks to recognise that creative diversity. This year, we, in association with the Trust’s long-term partner, the John Keells Foundation, are delighted to cast the spotlight on Malaiyaha Tamil Literature. We give special thanks to Dr. Mahendran Thiruvarangan who has been instrumental in putting the event together.”

The Gratiaen Trust is a non-profit organisation that promotes and encourages contemporary creative writing in Sri Lanka. Established in 1992, the Trust annually awards the prestigious Gratiaen Prize for outstanding works of literature in English by Sri Lankan authors and the H.A.I. Gunathilake Prize for Translation. The Trust’s mission is to nurture literary talent, foster creativity, and support the growth of Sri Lankan literature. John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of the John Keells Group – has been the primary sponsor of the Gratiaen Trust since October 2019 and has provided unstinting support in helping the Trust expand its mandate.

To learn more about the events organised by the Trust please visit the Gratiaen Trust website https://www.gratiaen.com.

August 9, 2023

The Sri Lanka Anti-Narcotics Association has reported an alarming rise in substance abuse among school children in Sri Lanka, with the most concerning trend being drug experimentation occurring between the ages of 11 and 16 years. The heaviest drug users fall within the age bracket of 16 to 25 years. Mainly, the substances targeting school children are medications and sedatives laced with sweets and treats, which are being sold by dubious vendors near educational institutions. This devious approach aims to hook children on softer drugs at an early age, thereby creating demand for harder drugs like ice and heroin later on.

Recognising the critical need to address this pressing issue, the John Keells Foundation (JKF), the CSR entity of the John Keells Group, has been actively leading the way with its Substance Abuse Prevention Awareness Programme since its launch in 2020. The programme is designed to intervene early in the lives of school children, positively impacting their lives and preventing substance use and related behavioural problems.

In alignment with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, JKF recently organised a school-based awareness programme in its Praja Shakthi location of Ja-Ela. The event, held in collaboration with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), was a success, aiming to educate and empower youth in combatting drug abuse and addiction through positive habits and lifestyle choices. On 28th June, 71 students from five different schools in the region participated in the programme, which focused on raising awareness about addiction, identifying strategies to mitigate addictive behaviour, and highlighting the grave dangers of drug abuse. The primary goal of JKF’s initiative is to create a drug-free and healthier community by educating the youth about the perils of substance abuse.

In addition to the awareness programme, JKF conducted an art competition involving 15 students. This creative exercise served as an opportunity to assess the students’ grasp of the knowledge shared during the awareness session. The location for the awareness programme, Ja-Ela, was chosen due to its identification as having a high prevalence of drug usage, as indicated by the latest reports from NDDCB.

As part of the commemoration of the International Day, JKF also launched a social media campaign under the theme “Together against drugs,” targeting parents of teenagers.

JKF’s commitment to mitigating substance abuse among children extends beyond this event. Since the launch of the Substance Abuse Prevention Awareness Programme in 2020, under the focus area of Health, JKF has actively conducted targeted awareness programmes for pre-school teachers, parents of pre-school children, and government officers in John Keells Praja Shakthi locations of Colombo 2, Hikkaduwa, and Ja-Ela, as well as community awareness in Colombo 2. Each year, a social media campaign is driven under a relevant theme to raise awareness of the dangers of drug abuse, signs to look for, and available help and support services. So far, over 29,098 individuals have been directly impacted through these proactive initiatives.

John Keells Foundation remains steadfast in its dedication to combat substance abuse among children, striving to create a safer and healthier future for the young generation of Sri Lanka.

John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), is the largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange, operating with over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 18 Years by LMD magazine. John Keells Holdings PLC was ranked first for the third consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

November 28, 2022

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“In order to achieve the 4th Sustainable Development Goal; which is access to quality education, digital communication has become a bridge that brings us closer to various forms of knowledge. A lot of us present here today have the challenge of accessing such knowledge due to the lack of an electronic device. Therefore, I take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in this great initiative for giving me and my colleagues the chance to access a new world of knowledge through this electronic device gifted to us.” – a student of St. Joseph’s Kanishta Vidyalaya, Ja-Ela.

John Keells Foundation (JKF) partnered with Deutsche Bank to launch phase 2 of John Keells Praja Shakthi Digital Learning Initiative on 11th November 2022. At the event, which was held at the Atrium, Cinnamon Grand Colombo, 80 students from 11 schools in John Keells Praja Shakthi locations of Colombo 2, Ja-Ela and Ranala were provided with tablets and data packages.

The event was attended by Mr. Kulathilaka, Divisional Educational Director of Ja-Ela, Krishan Balendra; Chairperson – John Keells Group, Sector Heads of John Keells Holdings (JKH) – Charitha Subasinghe, Nayana Mawilmada and Nadija Tambiah, Carmeline Jayasuriya; JKH’s Head of CSR, Directors and senior management of Deutsche Bank – Niranjan Figurado, Janath Ilangantileke, Prabath Samindra, Reza Mansoor and Charitha Dumbarage, representatives from Dialog Axiata PLC – Harsha De Zoysa and Nishal Herat, Principals and teachers of the schools and the beneficiary students with their parents.

John Keells Praja Shakthi Digital Learning Initiative was launched in 2021 in partnership with Deutsche Bank to facilitate online based learning of disadvantaged school children preparing for public examinations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pilot project (phase 1) involved the distribution of a total of 100 Samsung A7 tabs and data packages to selected Ordinary and Advanced Level students in identified John Keells Praja Shakthi locations of Colombo 2 and Ranala for the duration of the respective course of study. Under phase 2, 80 Samsung A8 tabs and data packages were distributed to school children expanding the locations to include Ja-Ela. Deutsche Bank is the co-funder and John Keells Office Automation (JKOA) and Dialog Axiata PLC are suppliers of devices and data packages respectively at concessionary rates.

Addressing the gathering, Principal of Munidasa Kumaratunga Vidyalaya in Ranala has this to say, “We did not choose the brightest children but the most deserving students who have the potential to do better in their studies. These devices have been an extra support for the children from last year, who will soon face their examinations and we have records to attest improvement in their studies. While thanking John Keells Foundation for this incredible support rendered to our children, we hope and wish they could do this programme in a much larger scale next year.”

The initiative was conducted within John Keells Praja Shakthi – the John Keells Group’s business centric community empowerment initiative managed by John Keells Foundation – which targets and addresses identified community development needs in collaboration with multiple partners in a sustainable manner. Education is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), one of Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerates in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 17 Years by LMD magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

September 29, 2022

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The long-drawn COVID-19 pandemic resulted in multiple school closures as well as prolonged social isolation of children and youth who were exposed to many risks including mental health challenges. The ongoing socio-economic instability has added to this strain.

As a means of mitigating these risks, John Keells Foundation together with ChildFund Sri Lanka in collaboration with the University of Visual and Performing Arts and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), successfully concluded a series of aesthetic workshops to address the social and emotional issues of children and youth in the Colombo 02 region stemming from intermittent school closures, online learning and limited social engagements during and after the pandemic.

The programme which was initiated in December 2021 comprised 48 workshops on art, theatre, music, and dancing conducted by a resource team from the University of Visual and Performing Arts headed by Prof. Saumya Liyanage over a period of nine months, proactively engaging over 70 youth (43 girls and 27 boys) between the ages of 15-24. Following the successful completion of the workshops, a visual and performing art exhibition entitled ‘Coloring Their Dreams’ was held on 18 September 2022 on Wekanda Jumma Musjeed Road, adjoining the De Mel Park Community Centre which was previously constructed by John Keells Foundation in collaboration with the CMC. This exhibition, whilst showcasing the aesthetic talents of 70 youth, also highlighted the significant improvement of the participants who performed with much enthusiasm and confidence to a wide audience.

Fifteen-year-old Fathima Hakma said, “I initially joined only the dance workshops but soon I thought I should join all the other classes like music and theatre after seeing how fun and engaging they were. I never thought I could sing this way and learn to play instruments like I do now. I discovered hidden talents within me thanks to this workshop series. I believe I am capable and confident enough to perform anywhere at any given time now.”

Education is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), one of Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 17 Years by LMD magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

May 30, 2022

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John Keells Foundation mobilized the first batch of the Group’s staff volunteers in a phased tree
planting initiative at the ‘Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project’ site at Suduwelipotha, Kalawana,
Ratnapura District in proximity to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, in the lead up to World Environment
Day 2022, under the guidance of Vimukthi Weeratuga, Senior Biologist at Cinnamon Nature Trails
and Dushy Perera, President of Ruk Rakaganno.
Initiated in June 2021, and relaunched as the ‘Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project’ earlier this
year, the project is a strategic, multi-sectoral collaboration on environmental and biodiversity
conservation undertaken by John Keells Foundation (JKF) – the CSR entity of the John Keells
Holdings PLC (JKH), Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Ruk Rakaganno (The Tree Society of Sri Lanka),
and Forest Department-Sri Lanka to reforest a degraded 59-acres of Suduwelipotha Forest located in
Kalawana with native vegetation which will grow into a forest habitat similar to (and mimic) the
adjoining Sinharaja Forest – the largest lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka and a biodiversity hotspot that
is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The project exemplifies the potential of publicprivate partnerships for collective action on national causes while encouraging employee and
community participation in further enhancing the impact generated.
“John Keells Foundation is delighted by the success of this first volunteer initiative under the
Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project”, said Carmeline Jayasuriya, JKH’s Head of CSR. “Guided
volunteer initiatives of this nature are ideal opportunities for generating experiential learning and
greater awareness on forest restoration and ecology. The initiative is also very much in line with the
theme for World Environment Day 2022 – ‘Only One Earth’ focusing on living sustainably in harmony
with nature and exhorting collective environmental action. The enthusiastic participation of volunteers
from across the Group, especially in the current challenging context, was very encouraging and more
such initiatives are in planning. We will continue to undertake these initiatives in the interest of
collective and transformative action for environmental conservation.”
The main task of the volunteers was to transport 580 saplings from the nurseries to the top of the
ridge forming a human chain and this was no easy task considering the distance and nature of the hike.
“It was an exhausting task but the unique experience that we gained through the project was definitely
worth it all. The bigger cause that we were working towards kept us going even during the few showers
of rain that fell upon us during the hike”, said Janith Perera, a volunteer from John Keells Property
explaining his experience.
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John Keells Group – Confidential
‘Environment’ is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells
Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange
operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John
Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most
Respected Entity’ for the last 15 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World
Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of
“Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social
entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution
in Sri Lanka

March 31, 2022

The International Women’s Day on 8th of March, is a day to reflect on the extraordinary achievements
of women, who drive change while contributing to the social, economic, and cultural progress of a
country.

John Keells Foundation (JKF) – the corporate responsibility entity of the John Keells Group – is
dedicated to creating gender empowerment through its many initiatives within 6 focus areas which are
aligned with the Group’s CSR vision of ‘Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’. While JKF’s varied
programmes target multiple underserved communities, gender empowerment is a crosscutting theme.
Speaking at a Women’s Leadership Forum entitled `BreakTheBias for a Better Tomorrow’ organized
by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce on 15th March 2022, Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head
of CSR and JKF, said, “When women are empowered to be safe, self-reliant and financially stable, the
resultant socio-economic impact benefits not only themselves but their children, family and
community as a whole. As such, our programmes focus on promoting skills, livelihoods and market
opportunities for women as well as building stronger ecosystems to tackle deeply ingrained and
inhibiting issues such as gender stereotyping, discrimination and harassment.”
Under JKF’s livelihood development programmes such as John Keells Praja Shakthi, many Micro,
Small and Medium sized Enterprises – especially women-led enterprises – are supported in improving
access to finance, value chains and markets.

Under the Foundation’s Education pillar – supporting women in pursuing higher education and
empowering them with skills towards enhancing their career has been a key objective.
‘John Keells English Language Scholarship Programme’ is aimed at enhancing the English
communication, ICT and soft skills of selected youth, directly benefitting over 17,700 of which a
majority are females.

JKF’s ‘Skill into Progress’ (SKIP) programme is a supply chain management initiative aimed at
empowering selected suppliers of the John Keells Group to be competitive in a pandemic-challenged
economy.

Under Health, JKF Combats gender-based violence (GBV) and child abuse through awareness
creation while reinforcing enabling social structures. “Project WAVE” (Working Against Violence
through Education) is a long-term project encompassing sensitization and training for Group
employees, police officers, lawyers, teachers, and the public.

As JKF works on uplifting the lives of disadvantaged communities across the country under its vision
of ‘Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’, gender empowerment will continue to be an integral and
cross-cutting theme of development initiatives undertaken to empower women with skills, knowledge,
and opportunities to be socially and economically independent.

Livelihood Development, Education and Health are three of the six focus areas of John Keells
Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), a company listed in the Colombo
Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150
years, John Keells Group has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 16 Years
by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of
the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow”
through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’,
which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

July 15, 2021

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“Before this programme, I was not confident in communicating in English. Today, I am able to provide my feedback on the programme in English, without the help of anyone after following this programme. I believe that this will help me to a great extent in the future. I would like to thank John Keells for going beyond business relationships and supporting their suppliers,” said Ms. Kumari Rajakaruna, a participant of the SKIP (Skill into Progress) programme – a customized, industry-based programme developed by John Keells Foundation to support the upskilling of identified supplier groups of the John Keells Group to address their skill gaps and thereby enhance quality of service and income opportunities in a post-pandemic environment. The initiative was first piloted among chauffeur guides of Walkers Tours and Whittall Boustead Travel while another customized programme was conducted for suppliers of Keells supermarkets. This programme will continue to upskill different supplier groups as means of supply chain management facilitation of the John Keells Group.

The SKIP programme is the latest link in a chain of skills development initiatives planned and implemented by John Keells Foundation since its establishment over 16 years ago. The John Keells Group has long understood that access to relevant education and skills development are of crucial importance in ensuring the availability of a productive and motivated labour force in Sri Lanka. As such, the Group through its CSR entity, John Keells Foundation (JKF), has prioritized the need for developing market relevant skills of children and youth across Sri Lanka.
According to the Labour Force Survey Report by the Department of Census and Statistics – Sri Lanka, the estimated youth unemployment rate in Sri Lanka in 2020 was at 25.7 percent and this situation is expected to be aggravated by the continuing pandemic. World Youth Skills Day, observed annually on 15th July, focuses on the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. This has also been the primary focus of JKF’s Education pillar under which an array of long-term sustainable initiatives has been developed and implemented for the benefit of selected children, youth and other target groups, empowering approximately 25,000 persons over the years.

The ‘John Keells English Language Scholarship Programme’ is JKF’s flagship skills development initiative aimed at enhancing the English communication, ICT and soft skills of selected school children and university youth. Since its launch in 2004, the programme, implemented in collaboration with the Gateway Language Centre, has directly benefited over 17,700 school children and youth. “English for Teens” – targeting pre O’Level students of disadvantaged schools – is conducted in two tiers enabling high performing students to qualify for an advanced programme. With the COVID outbreak, the programme continued through online classes with close monitoring of staff volunteers from John Keells Group.

Each year, the programme concludes with an English Day – held at all island and regional levels – to showcase the learnings of the scholars. With the pandemic-related gathering restrictions in the recent past, this element of the programme was also taken to an online platform. In 2020, poetry recitation was held virtually, and in 2021, a speech competition was organized for 150 students from 12 locations. Significant improvement in communication skills and confidence levels was observed by the teachers and the project team during the speech competition. Students spoke about My Journey as a English Language Scholarship Student, The Benefit Of Learning English For My Future and My Experience Learning English Online and Nethma Dilmini from Beruwala in her speech summed up her experience as “The skills gained from the English Language Scholarship Programme will greatly increase my educational opportunities and to help me pursue my dream of becoming a cardiologist. Furthermore, when I go out into society English language will be beneficial to me in in emergencies and will also help me to learn about the cultures of different countries. By using English as a tool I’ll be able to explore the world with confidence.”

Since 2006, John Keells Group’s Transportation Sector through JKF has been organizing a customized English scholarship programme for first year undergraduates of the Transport and Logistics Management (B.Sc (T&LM) Hons) Degree programme to enable better participation in their graduate studies, empowering over 726 undergraduates.

JKF has also conducted customized courses on English communication skills development for the students of the School for the Blind in Ratmalana as well as the School for the Deaf in Ratmalana.
As a means of raising awareness and preparing youth for career and self-employment opportunities, JKF has also conducted career guidance and vocational training programmes for disadvantaged school children and school leavers in various locations within JKF’s Village Adoption and Praja Shakthi projects.
Moreover, towards mitigating unemployment rates by increasing the career-readiness of youth, JKF has also offered Higher Education Scholarships to promote pursuit of advanced studies among economically disadvantaged youth as well as Soft Skills Workshops, job fairs, exposure programs and internships for University undergraduates aimed at enhancing their career skills, attitudes and opportunities, in collaboration with various businesses of the John Keells Group.

The overarching objectives of these initiatives are to complement the State education and higher education systems and improve outcomes, develop market relevant skills, attitudes and competencies and thereby enhance access to employment opportunities to a greater number of youth who can in turn gainfully contribute to fostering a prosperous, sustainable and equitable socio-economic environment for all, in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Education is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), a company listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 15 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

June 4, 2021

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John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of the John Keells Group – entered into a three-year collaboration with Ruk Rakaganno – a non-governmental organization engaged in the field of conservation and restoration of trees and forests – to re-forest 20 hectares of Suduwalipotha Forest located in Kukulagema Beat, Kalawana Range, Kalawana DS Division in Ratnapura District through Ecological Restoration. The project falls within John Keells Foundation’s focus area of Environment which commits to minimizing the impact on the environment while promoting the cause of environmental conservation and sustainability.

The project will focus on reforesting the land with indigenous trees and plants of the wet zone which can be established as a natural laboratory, providing a place for education and increasing public awareness on forest restoration and ecology with the output of 20 hectares of land to be planted with well-established native vegetation, which will grow into a forest habitat similar to (that will mimic) the adjoining wet zone natural forest, Sinharaja Forest – the largest lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka and a biodiversity hotspot that is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The project which will be funded by John Keells Foundation and implemented by Ruk Rakaganno will involve the planting of a minimum of 13,000 trees within the restored forest land during the first year commencing from 2021 and maintain the trees during the rest of the three years in accordance with an undertaking by Ruk Rakaganno to the Conservator General of Forests to increase the tree cover and productivity of forests by supporting the restoration of the identified forest land. A Baseline Ecological Assessment of the site has already been carried out by an expert team to facilitate the purchase of field equipment and plants and to commence clearing the land. A joint field visit with representatives from Ruk Rakaganno and Vimukthi Weeratunga, Biologist from Cinnamon Nature Trails also took place where relevant personnel engaged with the local community on tools and supply of plants, whilst a list of plants available at the nurseries was earmarked for the project.

This initiative is very much in line with the theme for World Environment Day 2021 – namely, “Ecosystem Restoration”. “Ecosystem restoration” means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.

“We are delighted to partner Ruk Rakaganno in this important Ecological Restoration programme”, said Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations of John Keells Foundation. “In addition to serving the key objective of conserving the critical ecosystems around Sinharaja Forest, we plan to actively engage both our staff volunteers of the John Keells Group as well as surrounding communities to support project implementation and impact.”
Prior to this project, John Keells Foundation together with various John Keells Group businesses and external organizations such as Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, Tea Smallholder Factories PLC, Carbon Consulting Company (Pvt) Ltd and Neptune Recyclers (Pvt) Ltd, has undertaken diverse projects with the aim of 2 biodiversity conservation, wildlife conservation, paper conservation and reforestation as part of the Group’s commitment to protect and enhance our environment.

Speaking of the collaboration Dushy Perera, President of Ruk Rakaganno said, “We are equally excited to partner John Keells Foundation in this reforestation project in the vicinity of the Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Sinharaja Rain Forest. We will be reforesting this area with endemic and indigenous plant species found in the forest reserve, thus endeavouring to preserve and propagate threatened species of flora in this buffer zone. Ruk Rakaganno have worked before with the UNDP, The Presidents Fund, Ford Foundation and the National Institute of Fundamental Studies and are now honoured to be chosen by JKH as their implementing partner in this progamme of ecological restoration”.

Environment is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 15 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.

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