Media Room – Press Release

In the wake of Sri Lanka’s unprecedented socio-economic crisis in early 2022, the John Keells Group launched a multi-pronged Crisis Response Initiative through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) entity, John Keells Foundation. Implemented in partnership with Group businesses across the Island, this initiative has made significant strides in supporting and empowering communities, aligning with the Group’s CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow.” The programmes implemented within the initiative focused on three key areas: Health & Nutrition, Education, and Livelihood Development. Planned for a period of six to twelve months, the objective of these programmes was to address the immediate challenges faced by communities while providing them with the skills and resources necessary to foster self-reliance in the long run. After the incubation, monitoring, and evaluation period, full responsibility for the initiatives would rest with the relevant stakeholders and communities. The Home Gardening Programme – one of the first launched under the Initiative – has empowered 1,284 households situated in locations surrounding the Group’s businesses with the participants being provided with inputs and knowledge to establish and maintain a home garden. This initiative encourages families to grow their own food to enhance nutrition accessibility and affordability. Many participating families recorded a bountiful harvest enabling them to meet their domestic requirement effectively. Another critical initiative was the Sustainable Farming Programme which played a pivotal role in supporting 28 farmlands around Cinnamon resorts, covering a total of 19 acres. This initiative not only sustained local livelihoods but also bolstered food and nutrition security in these areas. Through this programme, farmers received inputs, equipment, technical support, and guidance in relation to modern agricultural practices such as drip irrigation, insect proof nets, ploy mulching technology, and sprinkler irrigation system. As a sub initiative of this programme, model farms were set up in Ranala by Ceylon Cold Stores PLC and in Pannala by Keells Food Products, while greenhouses were established at Cinnamon Bentota Beach and Cinnamon Lodge Habarana. These initiatives have not only fostered self-reliance among staff and communities but also provided an invaluable learning space for employees, community members and university students to exchange knowledge on best farming practices. The ‘Pasal Diriya’ school meal programme was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Group businesses – Ceylon Cold Stores, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and John Keells Properties – to coincide with National Children’s Day 2022. Through the programme 2,951 students from eleven selected schools in the Western, Eastern, and Southern Provinces as well as three pre-schools in the North Central Province were provided with daily school meals. As of March 31, 2023, ten schools have been equipped with school kitchens and a total of 125,977 meals have been served. Furthermore, a pilot home gardening project was launched in one school, towards creating sustainable ecosystems for schools to supplement nutritious meals for children. The active participation of children, teachers, and parents in preparing the school garden has been truly encouraging, with its first harvest of vegetables being used for a meal served to 126 students. Under the Education focus, John Keells Foundation also expanded its English Language Scholarship Programme (focused on providing English and IT skills to pre-O’Level school children), Higher Education Scholarship Programme (disbursing stipends to A’Level and University students), and the Digital Learning Initiative (providing tab devices and data packages to O’Level and A’Level students in identified schools) in an effort to encourage students from underprivileged communities to continue their education. In the financial year 2022/23, these initiatives have supported a total of 1,140 students. Moreover, additional programmes were introduced to address the mental health and wellbeing of children and youth affected by prolonged school closures and restricted activities.

The John Keells Group signed an agreement contributing LKR 100 million toward the Suwa Seriya Foundation for use in the operations of the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service. The contribution aims to support the ambulance service, which has been facing financial constraints, and will allow the service to continue providing lifesaving emergency medical assistance in Sri Lanka. The Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service was launched in 2016 with the support of the Indian Government. The service was created with the aim of providing emergency medical assistance across the island, especially those living in rural and remote areas, who have limited access to essential healthcare facilities. Since its inception, the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service has provided emergency medical assistance to thousands of individuals, saving countless lives. While Suwa Seriya has been supported under the budgetary supplement by the Government, financial constraints arising due to the recent country context are affecting the sustained operations of the service. In order to ensure that the service can continue to provide lifesaving medical assistance to those in need, the John Keells Group has stepped forward with a financial contribution of LKR 100 million toward the Suwa Seriya Foundation. This support from John Keells Group is a significant boost to the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service, as it will allow the service to purchase new medical equipment and continue to maintain the ambulances, as well as recruit and train additional medical personnel. This will enable the service to both sustain and expand its operations and continue to serve people in need of emergency medical assistance. Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the John Keells Group, said, “At John Keells, we believe that it is our responsibility to support and empower the communities in which we operate. Given that health is one of the key focus areas of our CSR initiatives implemented through John Keells Foundation, we are proud to support the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service and the outstanding work that is done every day by these first responders to save lives across Sri Lanka. We urge the corporate community and other benefactors to continue to support this vital service.” The service operates a fleet of 297 ambulances equipped with necessary emergency medical equipment and staffed by trained personnel. The contribution from the John Keells Group to the Suwa Seriya Foundation will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service and the communities that it serves. ජෝන් කීල්ස් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරය ‘1990 සුව සැරිය’ ගිලන් රථ සේවයට රු. මිලියන 100 ක මුදලක් පරිත්‍යාග කරයි ජෝන් කීල්ස් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරය ‘සුව සැරිය’ ගිලන් රථ සේවය වෙනුවෙන් රු. මිලියන 100 ක මුදලක් පරිත්‍යාග කිරීම සඳහා පසුගියදා ගිවිසුම් අත්සන් කළේ ය. මූල්‍යමය ගැටලු හේතුවෙන් පසුගිය කාලය තුළ සුව සැරිය ගිලන් රථ සේවය පවත්වාගෙන යාමට අපහසු තත්ත්වයක් උදා වී තිබිණි. සුව සැරිය යනු ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයන්ගේ ජීවිත බේරාගැනීම සඳහා මහඟු සේවයක් ඉටුකරන සේවාවක් වන අතර, මෙම කාලෝචිත පරිත්‍යාගය එම සේවාව අඛණ්ඩව පවත්වාගෙන යාමට උපකාරී වනු ඇත. 2016 වර්ෂයේදී ඉන්දියානු රජයේ සහයෝගය ඇතිව සුව සැරිය ගිලන් රථ සේවය ආරම්භ කරන ලදි. විශේෂයෙන්ම දිවයිනේ දුෂ්කර පළාත්වල ජීවත් වන, සෞඛ්‍ය පහසුකම් අවම මට්ටමින් හිමිවන ජනතාවට හදිසි සෞඛ්‍ය සේවාවන් සැපයීම මෙහි මූලික අරමුණ විය. මේ දක්වා දස දහස් ගණනකට වෛද්‍යාධාර සපයමින්, විශාල පිරිසකගේ ජීවිත බේරා ගැනීමට මෙම සේවාව සමත් වී තිබේ. මෙතෙක් කල් රජයේ අයවැය ප්‍රතිපාදන මගින් පවත්වාගෙන ගිය සුව සැරිය ගිලන් රථ සේවය තවදුරටත් පවත්වාගෙන යාමට අපහසු තත්වයක් මෑතකාලීනව උදා විය. මෙම තත්ත්වය හමුවේ මෙම මහඟු මෙහෙවර අඩාල වීමට ඉඩ නොදී, සුව සැරිය පදනමට රු. මිලියන 100 ක පරිත්‍යාගයක් සිදුකිරීමට ජෝන් කීල්ස් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරය​ කටයුතු කළේ ය. මෙම පරිත්‍යාගය නිසා සුව සැරිය සේවාවට අත්‍යවශ්‍ය වෛද්‍ය උපකරණ මිලදී ගැනීමට සහ ගිලන් රථ නඩත්තුව නිසි පරිදි සිදුකිරීමට මෙන්ම කාර්ය මණ්ඩලය බඳවාගෙන ඔවුන්ට පුහුණුව ලබාදීමටද හැකි වනු ඇති අතර, ඉදිරියේදී සුව සැරිය සේවාවන් තවදුරටත් ව්‍යාප්ත කරමින් තවත් ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයන් දහස් ගණනකගේ ජීවිත බේරාගැනීමටද හැකි වනු ඇත. මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් දක්වමින් ජෝන් කීල්ස් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරයේ සමූහාධිපති ක්‍රිෂාන් බාලේන්ද්‍ර මහතා පැවසුවේ, ප්‍රජාවන්ට අත්වැලක් වීම සහ ඔවුන් සවිබල ගැන්වීම තම යුතුකමක් හා වගකීමක් බව ජෝන් කීල්ස් සමූහය විශ්වාස කරන බවයි. “සෞඛ්‍යය යනු ජෝන් කීල්ස් පදනම යටතේ අපගේ ප්‍රජා සත්කාර මෙහෙවර තුළ ප්‍රධාන වශයෙන් අවධානය යොමු වන එක් අංශයක්. එම නිසා සුව සැරිය ගිලන් රථ සේවාවටත්, එම සේවාව හරහා ශ්‍රී ලාංකිකයන්ගේ ජීවිත බේරාගැනීමට කැපවන සුව සැරිය කාර්ය මණ්ඩලයටත් මෙලෙස අත්වැලක් වීමට හැකි වීම පිළිබඳව අප ආඩම්බර වනවා. එමෙන්ම මෙම මෙහෙවර අඛණ්ඩව පවත්වාගෙන යාම සඳහා තම දායකත්වය ලබාදෙන මෙන්, දිවයිනේ සෙසු සමාගම් හා ආයතනවලින් අප කාරුණිකව ඉල්ලා සිටිනවා.” ක්‍රිෂාන් බාලේන්ද්‍ර මහතා වැඩිදුරටත් පැවසී ය. අත්‍යවශ්‍ය සෞඛ්‍ය උපකරණ සහිත ගිලන් රථ 297 ක් සුව සැරිය සේවාව සතුව පවතින අතර, මනාව පුහුණුව ලත් කාර්ය මණ්ඩලයක් එම ගිලන් රථවල සේවයෙහි යෙදී සිටිති. ජෝන් කීල්ස් සමූහ ව්‍යාපාරය සිදුකළ මෙම පරිත්‍යාගය මගින්, සුව සැරිය ගිලන් රථ සේවාවට මෙන්ම එහි සේවාවන් ලබන සමස්ත ශ්‍රී ලංකාවාසී ජනතාවටද සුවිශාල යහපතක් සිදුවනු නො-අනුමාන ය. ஜோன் கீல்ஸ் குழுமம் இலங்கையில் சுவ செரிய மருத்துவ ஊர்தி சேவைக்கு 100 மில்லியன் ரூபாவை வழங்குகிறது ஜோன் கீல்ஸ் குழுமம், சுவ செரிய மருத்துவ ஊர்தி சேவையின் செயற்பாடுகளுக்காக சுவ செரிய அறக்கட்டளைக்கு 100 மில்லியன் ரூபாவை வழங்குவதற்கான ஒப்பந்தத்தில் கைச்சாத்திட்டுள்ளது. நிதி நெருக்கடிகளை எதிர்கொள்ளும் மருத்துவ ஊர்தி சேவைக்கு ஆதரவளிப்பதை நோக்கமாகக் கொண்ட இந்தப் பங்களிப்பு, இலங்கையில் உயிர்காக்கும் அவசர மருத்துவ உதவிகளை தொடர்ந்து வழங்குவதற்கு இடமளிக்கும். 2016 இல் சுவ செரிய மருத்துவ ஊர்தி சேவை இந்திய அரசின் ஆதரவுடன் ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டது. நாடு முழுவதும், குறிப்பாக கிராமங்களில் மற்றும் தொலைதூர பகுதிகளில் வசிப்பவர்கள், அத்தியாவசிய சுகாதார வசதிகளுக்கான மட்டுப்படுத்தப்பட்ட அணுகலைக் கொண்டவர்களுக்கு அவசர மருத்துவ உதவிகளை வழங்கும் நோக்கத்துடன் இந்த சேவை உருவாக்கப்பட்டது. சுவ செரிய மருத்துவ ஊர்தி சேவை ஆரம்பிக்கப்பட்டதிலிருந்து, ஆயிரக்கணக்கான நபர்களுக்கு அவசர மருத்துவ உதவிகளை வழங்கி, எண்ணற்ற உயிர்களைக் காப்பாற்றியுள்ளது. சுவ செரிய சேவை அரசாங்கத்தால் பாதீட்டு குறைநிரப்பியின் கீழ் ஆதரிக்கப்படும் அதே வேளையில், சமீபத்திய நாட்டுச் சூழல் காரணமாக எழும் நிதிக் கட்டுப்பாடுகள் சேவையின் நீடித்த செயல்பாடுகளை பாதிக்கின்றன. சேவை தேவைப்படுபவர்களுக்கு உயிர்காக்கும் மருத்துவ உதவிகளை தொடர்ந்து வழங்குவதை உறுதி செய்வதற்காக, ஜோன் கீல்ஸ் குழுமம் சுவ செரிய அறக்கட்டளைக்கு 100 மில்லியன் ரூபாய் நிதியுதவி வழங்க முன்வந்துள்ளது. ஜோன் கீல்ஸ் குழுமத்தின் இந்த உதவி சுவ செரிய மருத்துவ ஊர்தி சேவைக்கு ஒரு குறிப்பிடத்தக்க ஊக்குவிப்பாக உள்ளது. ஏனெனில், இது புதிய மருத்துவ உபகரணங்களை வாங்குவதற்கும் மருத்துவ ஊர்திகளைதொடர்ந்து பராமரிப்பதற்கும் கூடுதல் மருத்துவ பணியாளர்களை பணியமர்த்துவதற்கும் மற்றும் பயிற்சி செய்வதற்கும் அனுமதிக்கும். இது சேவையை அதன் செயல்பாடுகளை நிலைநிறுத்தவும் விரிவுபடுத்தவும் மற்றும் அவசர மருத்துவ உதவி தேவைப்படும் மக்களுக்கு தொடர்ந்து சேவை செய்யவும் உதவும். ஜோன் கீல்ஸ் குழுமத்தின் தலைவர் கிருஷான் பாலேந்திரா கூறுகையில், ‘ ஜோன் கீல்ஸில், நாங்கள் செயல்படும் சமூகங்கள் மத்தியில் அவர்களை ஆதரிப்பதும், வலுவூட்டுவதும் எங்கள் பொறுப்பு என்று நாங்கள் நம்புகிறோம். சுகாதாரம் என்பது நமது சமூகப் பொறுப்புணர்வு முயற்சிகளில் முக்கிய கவனம் செலுத்தும் பகுதிகளில் ஒன்றாகும். ஜோன்

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 invcollaboration 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.” 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 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.

John Keells Group initiates an accelerated Crisis Response Programme to address food and educational challenges As Sri Lanka navigates its worst economic crisis since Independence, the John Keells Group is committed to supporting and empowering affected communities to overcome the challenges in the immediate term and be better equipped to be self-reliant for the future. “The current socio-economic crisis is by all accounts unprecedented,” said Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of CSR of John Keells Holdings PLC. “Concurrent challenges relating to the unavailability, inaccessibility and unaffordability of basic food commodities, fuel, fertilizer and other essentials coupled with the record cost of living have disrupted the lives and livelihoods of many across the country.” Impact of the crisis is widespread, with livelihoods of self-employed persons and small to medium enterprises coming under severe strain with the most affected being daily wage earners and women. Children and youth are particularly affected, with disruptions to regular schooling and tertiary learning in the wake of COVID-19 as well as the recent suspension of school meals due to the aggravated economic crisis. The John Keells Group’s accelerated crisis response programme is undertaken through its CSR entity, John Keells Foundation within its community empowerment initiative ‘John Keells Praja Shakthi’ in collaboration with the Group’s businesses and is aimed at alleviating hardships and empowering identified communities for the future through immediate and medium to long term programmes under two pillars. The first pillar focuses on addressing the current and impending food-security issues through a variety of initiatives implemented by the different John Keells Group businesses including Elephant House, Keells, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and John Keells Property. This comprises a multi-pronged Food Security Programme to address the immediate food crisis coupled with longer term sustainable initiatives including awareness creation on locally available nutrition and increasing farming efficiencies, self-reliance and entrepreneurship. Immediate term relief such as the donation of dryration packs under the Keells Donation Card scheme and Cinnamon’s “Meals that Heal” are aimed at alleviating hunger among vulnerable communities in the short term whereas other more sustainable and long-term initiatives such as the home and community gardening initiatives, farmer empowerment through the promotion of good agriculture practices and facilitating school meals for children are in the process of being rolled out. Children and youth are particularly affected by the crisis. Learning loss and increased school drop-out have also been exacerbated as families are compelled to prioritize food and medical needs over education, which are expected to lead to life-long negative impacts. In this context, the focus of the second pillar of the John Keells crisis response is on empowering children by providing continued education for disadvantaged children through the provision of scholarships including English and ICT skills, higher education and digital learning, and to upkeep the health and well-being of vulnerable groups through awareness creation on Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection and Substance Abuse Prevention. To ensure collective efforts, resource allocation and sustainability, the John Keells Group has partnered with related government entities and technical partners to achieve this end. John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) is 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.

“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

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected livelihoods of many, more so of daily wage earners and micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSME). For Sri Lankan MSMEs, especially women-led enterprises, the pandemic was not the only hurdle they had to overcome. Jeewani Fernando together with 13 members of the ‘Ranliya Women’s Society of Batewela’ in Ranala have been engaged in producing envelopes which has been the only income source for many years. Even though the Society was fortunate to procure a paper cutting machine with the support of the Divisional Secretariat in 2018, it has been an uphill battle for the women to reap economic benefits due to the lack of training as well as market access following the challenges posed by successive disasters, namely, Easter Sunday attacks and COVID-19. “We received a paper cutting machine two years ago, but we were quite afraid to operate it as we didn’t know how to use it. So, we just kept making envelopes which was not generating much income to support our families, especially our children and our grandchildren. When lockdowns and restrictions came in, it was even more difficult to survive by just making envelopes” recalls Jeewani. Meanwhile, John Keells Foundation together with Ceylon Cold Stores (Elephant House) had initiated John Keells Praja Shakthi in Ranala. John Keells Praja Shakthi is a sustainable community empowerment initiative centred around locations of identified businesses of the John Keells Group, led by John Keells Foundation and powered by active and sustained engagement of the respective businesses. Under this project the need for skill and capacity development and market access for the women entrepreneurs of Ranliya Women’s Society was identified as a development need in discussion with the Kaduwela Divisional Secretariat and the Batewela Grama Niladhari, and a training programme on producing paper products was launched. Following the 2-month training and follow up support, 16 women from the ‘Ranliya Women’s Society of Batewela’ who were once limited to producing envelopes were equipped with knowledge on using the paper cutting machine effectively to produce a variety of paper products including bags, vesak lanterns, lunch boxes, etc. Even though things were taking a positive turn, the women had encountered another challenge when the country went into another lockdown in May. “We were struggling especially after the COVID-19 outbreak, but when John Keells Foundation intervened and provided us a comprehensive training on how to use this machine, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. We were getting many orders and with the seed capital we started making Vesak lanterns ranging from ready-made models to do-it-yourself (DIY) lanterns. We produced more than 2000 lanterns, but the country went into a lockdown and we didn’t know what to do. However, John Keells Foundation supported us once again by promoting sales through their channels and we managed to sell 1,883 lanterns. We have been able to improve our business opportunities within a short period of time with their support” says Jeewani. In the tourist hotspot of Hikkaduwa, Priyadarshini and a group of 11 other women-led batik artisans were struggling with no immediate tourists and income prospects to market their labour-intensive products ever since the Easter Sunday attacks and exacerbated by the pandemic. Once again, John Keells Praja Shakthi proved a lifeline to these struggling women entrepreneurs. Under the Hikkadwa programme, John Keells Foundation and Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon together with the Hikkaduwa Divisional Secretariat and the Academy of Design (AOD) initiated a programme to upskill and empower these women. 12 batik artisans from Ginthota, Galagoda and Thelwatte underwent a training supported by AOD after which they were guided to create upmarket Batik products under the unified brand of ‘HIKKA BATIKS’. John Keells Foundation hosted a pilot sale for the first batch of products comprising tote bags, vanity pouches, shoe bags and laundry bags. The sale held on 10th April 2021 at Arcade Independence Square, Colombo attracted many local and foreign buyers. The sales proceeds from the pilot sale together with commissions for more orders are a welcome boost to the batik artisans to continue production. “It was the first time my son came to Colombo”, says Priyadarshini recalling her day in Colombo for the pilot sale. “Not only was I happy to see all of the buyers who came to purchase our products, I was also happy that I was able to bring my son with me that day.” John Keells Foundation together with Group businesses Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon and Keells are actively exploring more market opportunities for the batik artisans despite the continuing restrictions arising from the pandemic. To acknowledge the perseverance and dedication of the women from both locations, John Keells Foundation organized certificate distribution ceremonies for both groups of women to coincide with the International Women’s Day which were graced by the respective Divisional Secretaries and Development Officers as well as representatives of project partners. John Keells Foundation also handed over seed capital to the Ranliya Women’s Society to support them procure raw materials for their planned activities. Sharing her thoughts about both initiatives, Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of Operations, John Keells Foundation, said, “The women entrepreneurs of Hikkaduwa and Ranala bear testimony to the resilience, strength and courage of MSME despite the uncertainties and hurdles that constantly surround their lives. Over the years, John Keells Foundation has been uplifting the lives and livelihood of disadvantaged communities around the country under its vision of ‘Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’. Gender empowerment has always been an integral and cross-cutting theme of development initiatives undertaken by John Keells Foundation. Through these initiatives we seek to empower women with basic facilities, knowledge, skills and opportunities to be socially and economically independent and become catalysts for the upliftment of themselves and their children.” Livelihood Development 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

Fulfilling its ongoing commitment to its communities and other stakeholders, the John Keells Group has been playing an active role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka from the beginning of the lockdown in Sri Lanka. The largest conglomerate in Sri Lanka, through its CSR entity, John Keells Foundation, as well as different Group companies has supported multiple relief efforts including critical infrastructure development, strengthening the safety of those in frontline services and provision of immediate relief to affected communities. John Keells Foundation (JKF) in collaboration with South Asia Gateway Terminals, Deutsche Bank and Melstacorp PLC, supported the establishment of a Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH) towards meeting the urgent need of the time to increase the testing capacity of Sri Lanka following the COVID-19 outbreak. This collaboration enabled a temporary lab facility to be operational at IDH from 29th March 2020 while the permanent facility, which was declared open on 28th April 2020, further enhanced IDH’s testing capacity and turnaround time. JKF also assisted Government hospitals with the donation of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to strengthen the safety of the front-liners battling the COVID-19 pandemic and to minimize their exposure to the virus. PPE donations were made to IDH and the Teaching Hospital at Kotelawala Defense University (KDU), the Homagama Base Hospital with the support of Ceylon Cold Stores (Elephant House) and Base Hospitals in Neluwa and Hiniduma in collaboration with Tea Smallholder Factories (TSF). Keells supermarkets donated PPE to the District General Hospital in Gampaha and the Public Health Inspectors (PHI) in the Colombo District. JKF with the support of TSF also donated PPE among PHI in Neluwa and Hiniduma. Elephant House and Keells Food Products donated PPE to Medical Officers of Health (MOH) in Pannala, Ja-ela and Awissawella, hospitals in Sandalankawa, Seeduwa and Nawagamuwa and police stations in Pannala, Ja-ela, Nawagamuwa and Awissawella. The PPE requirement for PHI of Peliyagoda, Mabole, Mahabage, Sedawatta, Seeduwa, Enderamulla and Avissawella was met by John Keells Logisitics. Furthermore, Elephant House together with John Keells Office Automation supported the donation of a photocopy machine to the MOH office in Kaduwela. TSF assisted in disinfecting the Neluwa Hospital and public areas of the Neluwa town. Many low income families were severely affected in the immediate aftermath of the lockdown in Sri Lanka. JKF with the support of Elephant House and Keells supermarkets distributed 10,000 packs of essential provisions free of charge to families identified by the District Secretary/Government Agent of Colombo among communities in Slave Island, Thimbirigasyaya, Mattakkuliya and Kolonnawa. Union Assurance with the assistance of the Colombo District Secretariat, Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD) and its staff distributed over 2,000 packs of essential goods to needy families in Mattakuliya, Kolonnawa, Thimbirigasyaya, Kirulapone and Narahenpita and another 649 packs in Matara, Chilaw, Maho, Marawila, Kurunegala and Thanamalwilla in collaboration with the Government Medical Officers Association. Keells supermarkets with the support of Sooriyaweva Divisional Secretariat also donated 300 packs of essential goods among community members in Sooriyaweva which included long terms suppliers of fruits and vegetables to Keells supermarkets. JKF, Elephant House, Keells supermarkets, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo and Cinnamon Red Colombo also donated essential food provisions and hydration aid for IDH staff, Armed Forces and other social service organisations in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff of the John Keells Group have supported the Group’s relief initiatives in multiple ways including personal donations as well as volunteering to distribute relief aid to hospitals and affected communities. A noteworthy initiative has been the engagement of Group Staff in several businesses including those in supermarkets, warehouse operations, hotels, travel and transportation operations who were called upon to serve essential national needs, including online deliveries, maintaining food and essential product supply chains, repatriation of tourists as well as coordinating and transporting relief aid in the aftermath of the lockdown . Disaster Relief is one of the six focus areas of the John Keells Group. Under its CSR Vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’, the Group pledges to come to the aid of Sri Lankans and global communities in times of adversity and disaster towards enabling them to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Accordingly, JKF continues to monitor the situation and plan medium to long-term support initiatives relating to COVID-19 in collaboration with Group businesses and other stakeholders including Government agencies, NGO partners and community based organizations.

Elephant House, the well-loved household brand, handed over Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to the Homagama Base Hospital on 14th May 2020 for the safety of the front-liners battling the Covid-19 pandemic by minimizing exposure to the virus. This project was an extension of the John Keells Praja Shakthi CSR initiative in Ranala – a collaboration in community empowerment between Elephant House and John Keells Foundation.  The PPE’s were handed over to Dr. Hettiarachchi -Medical Superintendent, Base hospital Homagama by Mr. Sanjeewa Jayasundara – Head of Supply Chain Elephant House.  Mrs. Nisansala Paranayapa Head of HR – John Keells Holdings Consumer Food Sector and Mr. Udaya Padmakumara Head of Research & Development Elephant House were also present. John Keells Foundation, the CSR division of the Group that is spearheading many such initiatives, has under this project collaborated with Ceylon Cold Stores (Elephant House) in identifying and donating PPE requirements to Homagama Base Hospital.  Elephant House together with Keells Supermarkets and John Keells Foundation previously distributed over 10,500 packs of essential provisions free of charge to families in the Western Province, supporting the Government’s initiative of ensuring that Sri Lankans have access to daily essentials during these difficult times. Ceylon Cold Stores PLC is a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed company in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. In 2020, John Keells Group celebrates 150 years of being in business and contributing to the Sri Lankan economy and development of the country. JKH provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 14 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Member of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through its CSR entity, John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in scientifically reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka. Elephant House, the well-loved household brand, handed over Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to the Homagama Base Hospital on 14th May 2020 for the safety of the front-liners battling the Covid-19 pandemic by minimizing exposure to the virus. This project was an extension of the John Keells Praja Shakthi CSR initiative in Ranala – a collaboration in community empowerment between Elephant House and John Keells Foundation.  The PPE’s were handed over to Dr. Hettiarachchi -Medical Superintendent, Base hospital Homagama by Mr. Sanjeewa Jayasundara – Head of Supply Chain Elephant House.  Mrs. Nisansala Paranayapa Head of HR – John Keells Holdings Consumer Food Sector and Mr. Udaya Padmakumara Head of Research & Development Elephant House were also present. John Keells Foundation, the CSR division of the Group that is spearheading many such initiatives, has under this project collaborated with Ceylon Cold Stores (Elephant House) in identifying and donating PPE requirements to Homagama Base Hospital.  Elephant House together with Keells Supermarkets and John Keells Foundation previously distributed over 10,500 packs of essential provisions free of charge to families in the Western Province, supporting the Government’s initiative of ensuring that Sri Lankans have access to daily essentials during these difficult times. Ceylon Cold Stores PLC is a subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed company in the Colombo Stock Exchange operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. In 2020, John Keells Group celebrates 150 years of being in business and contributing to the Sri Lankan economy and development of the country. JKH provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 14 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a Member of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of “Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through its CSR entity, John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in scientifically reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.