Pan Asia Bank enhances facilities for deserving schools in Warakapola, Kekirawa and Welikanda

Area Manager Kithsiri Weerakoon, Manager – Warakapola Nilani Karunarathne together with staff of Area Office and Warakapola branch participating in the opening ceremony on 1 January at the Mahena Primary School in Warakapola

Accelerating the momentum of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in the arena of education, which forms a key pillar in its sustainable operations strategy, Pan Asia Bank branches in the North Western region recently conducted several impactful CSR projects. These projects were implemented at identified schools located in economically underprivileged areas to enhance their infrastructure and improve the conditions for students, for whom education is probably the only stepping stone to better economic prospects. The projects were successfully concluded with the enthusiastic participation by employees of the Bank. 

The first school to benefit was the Mahena Primary School in Warakapola, which has been in existence since 1957 and consists of 300 children, 20 teachers and classes from Grade 1 to 11 including a special education unit for differently-abled children. Despite its attempt to fulfill the educational needs of the surrounding rural farming communities, the school lacked adequate facilities. Having identified the dire requirement to improve facilities of this school, Pan Asia Bank undertook renovation of the main hall and auditorium of the school by donating curtains and painting walls with staff participation. The Bank also donated a sound system for the auditorium along with sports equipment for development of sports activities among students. The CSR project was conducted by the staff of Warakapola branch with the involvement of the Area Office. 

Pan Asia Bank’s Kekirawa branch conducted another CSR project at the Manewa Primary School, Ipalogama, recently. A school that has been in existence for almost seven decades it consists of over 140 students and nine teachers presently, up to Grade 5, with students from Ipalogama, Ganthiriyagama, Manewa and Machchagama areas. Several facilities in this school had fallen into disrepair, which inspired the Kekirawa branch to construct a library with complete partition walls and new door. The branch staff participated in colour washing the new library room and further donated glass fixed library cupboards and books as requested by the teachers for a well-equipped library which would benefit the students.  Broadening its scope further, Pan Asia Bank’s Kaduruwela Branch successfully completed a CSR project at NCP/PO/Dimbulagala Zone’s Maliyadeva Primary School, Dalukana, located in a very remote and inaccessible area in Welikanda. This school is located in close proximity to Dimbulagala and is attended by underprivileged students and those from the Adi Vasi community. Set up in 1958, the school consists of 78 children, four teachers, and classes up to Grade 5. 

When the branch staff visited the school, they found many areas that needed urgent attention and selected the most pressing needs to focus on. This included providing enhanced safety for students by fixing iron grills and iron doors in two classrooms; fully renovating classrooms and colour washing them with staff participation; donating 4 Green Boards and chairs for classrooms and exercise books for use of children.

 As a responsible corporate citizen, Pan Asia Bank engages closely with the communities within which it operates and the Bank’s social responsibility commitment goes well beyond business, to reach out to the most deserving at times when they need it the most.