CSR Sri Lanka invites more private sector players to use Mahoga for Social Transformation

CSR Sri Lanka – the only organisation dedicated to promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the private sector – invites more dominant players to use Mahoga, the first-ever digital platform that would connect two stakeholders for social transformation. 

After coming on board as members, stakeholders are connected towards a common cause. By connecting the two stakeholders it would improve some of the most vital issues in the society such as good governance, equal participation of women, youth empowerment, and healthcare.

Founded in 2013 CSR Sri Lanka has over 40 private sector members. Sri Lanka spends over Rs. 4 billion annually on CSR through various avenues however less attention is paid to the aspect of sustainability in most CSR projects as they are mostly non-aligned with national priorities. 

CSR Sri Lanka Chairman Chandula Abeywickrema (left) signing the agreement with MillenniumIT CEO Mack Gill after launching the Mahoga digital platform for the corporate sector in Sri Lanka

CSR Sri Lanka’s mandate is to ensure that corporates engage in meaningful stakeholder engagement activities for their CSR strategy rather than making PR gains. While the platform is powered by Millennium IT, the system is administrated and curated by CSR Sri Lanka, ensuring that all donors and beneficiaries are thoroughly vetted.

CSR Sri Lanka Chairman Chandula Abeywickrema said that his organisation is advocating transformational CSR. “Transformative CSR focuses its activities on identifying and tackling the root causes as to why we are facing unsustainability at our business organisations. You cannot run a business by totally eliminating the relationship with the society and environment. CSR has to be a part of the business strategy,” he said. 

“There are five pillars namely; stakeholders, employees, customers, society and the environment. You have to bring transformational to all stakeholders. We have seen many organisations move towards CSR once the damage has been already done to the society and the environment. For any business it is a long journey, don’t allocate a small percent for social and environment transformation. Progress means your profit has to be directed towards the planet and the people; that is sustainability,” Abeywickrema noted.  

Transformative CSR holds the key to making change happen, at a societal, organisational and individual level to create greater impact for the society and environmental enrichment.

With transformative CSR being the way forward, private sector companies, NGOs and INGOs can now use their strengths to help their communities more effectively by engaging in collaborative partnerships with each other. By utilising resources better, their contributions can make a larger impact. And this is exactly what Mahoga will help them do.

For more information about the platform, visit [email protected].