Gal-Oya Plantations successfully completes first ‘Mau Piya Wandana’ program

Gal-Oya Plantations Limited (GOPL) recently organised a special initiative, under its Corporate Social Responsibility program, named ‘Mau Piya Wandana’. It was aimed at strengthening the bond between parents and their children through spiritual connection. GOPL works closely with over 5,000 families, and has over the years built a strong relationship with its community consisting of farmers as well as religious leaders. More than 4,000 people including 2,000 children participated at the ‘Mau Piya Wandana’ program which was organised for the first time. Ampara District Secretary D M L Bandaranayake participated as the Chief Guest. Venerable Massanne Vijitha Thero conducted the program at the Fair Premises located in Hingurana. The program was supported by LOLC Holdings PLC, together with the staff of GOPL.

Speaking at the program, Ampara District Secretary D M L Bandaranayake said: “In recent years, we have clearly seen how the relationship between parents and children have changed profoundly, with parents devoting more time to work and children’s lives becoming increasingly competitive. As a result, the time spent together has declined, and today this is a key concern. In a scenario such as this, I believe that the ‘Mau Piya Wandana’ program organised by Gal-Oya Plantations is a very timely initiative. It is a good way to educate the society about the importance of building a strong bond between parents and their children. It not only makes the family more united but also contributes positively towards building a society that is secure and with good values.” 

Gal-Oya Plantations Chief Executive Officer Gamini Rathnayake said: “I am delighted to see the keen interest and enthusiasm shown by our community towards such programs. At Gal-Oya, we believe that building a safe and happy community starts from home. In other words, sustainable societies depend upon strong families. That is why we decided to initiate a program such as Mau Piya Wandana. We hope to continue with this initiative to educate not only our employees and their families, but the entire community in which we operate.” 

Gal-Oya Plantations Limited was formed in 2007 for the purpose of revitalising the former Hingurana Sugar Industries Limited, which was closed since 1997. Gal-Oya Plantations currently operates as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the Government of Sri Lanka and a consortium led by Brown & Company PLC and LOLC PLC. The plantation consists of 7,659 ha. of land with approximately 5,200 ha of cultivatable extent allotted amongst 4,400 families. The rest of the area is occupied by factory buildings, housing complexes, high land reservations, field roads and drainages. The project area is divided into 5 major zones, namely, Varipathanchena, Galmuduwa, Deegawapi, Hingurana, and Neetha.

Images from the inaugural Mau Piya Wandana program