Hambantota Port breaks ground for ‘Hope Village’ in Kandagasmankada

HIPG CEO Johnson Liu with Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong and representatives of the Nirmala Foundation presenting the sponsorship

HIPG and CICT teams, the Ambassador, representatives of the Nirmala Foundation and the Hambantota Divisional Secretariat at the village community centre

Ambassador Qi Zhenhong and entourage participating in the foundation laying

The Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) marked the symbolic beginning of its flagship community development project, ‘Hope Village.’ 

This venture which has a budget of over Rs. 60 million, will in its initial stage include a community centre, health centre, agriculture centre, playground facilities as well as financial assistance to the village temple in Kandagasmankada, a village in the Lunugamwehera Division of the Hambantota District.

Ambassador for China to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, who was Chief Guest at the foundation laying ceremony held at the project site, was greeted by HIPG CEO Johnson Liu. The management team of the Hambantota International Port, representatives of Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT) and the Nirmala Foundation also participated in the event. 

Kandagasmankada Rajamaha Viharaya Chief Incumbent Galapitagala Premarathana Thero, Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, HIPG CEO Johnson Liu, CICT CEO Jack Huang, HIPG COO Tissa Wickramasinghe, HIPG CFO Raymond Mu, HIPS CEO Ravi Jayawickreme, representatives from Divisional and District Secretariats, Lunugamwehera Police Station OIC C. Wickramaratne, along with senior staff of HIPG and residents of the village took part in breaking ground at the site, to lay the foundation for the project.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Qi Zhenhong said, “The friendship between China and Sri Lanka dates back over twenty centuries. It is deeply rooted in the hearts of the two nations no matter how the domestic and international situation changes. China and Sri Lanka have been helping each other during difficult times and China will continue to do so in the future. In addition, China wishes to assist Sri Lanka in poverty alleviation. The Hope Village initiative towards uplifting the wellbeing of villagers will be successful with a mutually beneficial partnership.” 

The Ambassador presented the IT lab of the village community centre, which will be named ‘China Sri Lanka Friendship IT Education Centre,’ with preliminary IT equipment, which was a highlight of the event. He also distributed toys amongst the village kids. In addition to the Hope Village sponsorship, the HIPG and CICT teams made a cash donation to the village temple. 

The ‘Hope Village’ concept, a development model village that will benefit marginalised communities, is a collaboration between China Merchant Foundation (CMF) the CSR arm of the China Merchant Group, and the Nirmala Foundation, a non-profit organisation working for positive change. CMF is the sponsor of the project which will be owned by the Nirmala Foundation, and monitored by the Divisional Secretariat of Lunugamwehera. HIPG and CICT teams are the facilitators of the project. 

HIPG CEO Johnson Liu and the representative of the China Merchants Group said: “I always believe it is our duty to look into our immediate neighbourhood at both micro and macro levels to see how we could be of service. Our aim is to develop the ‘Hope Village’ concept into a desirable residential level with fully-fledged facilities and help villagers develop their livelihoods under a cooperative model. The purpose is to uplift the rural community and improve living conditions of people in the area. While being mission driven to become a customer-centric seaport and a platform for business excellence, we at HIP, are pleased to connect our business success with our local community. This is the foundation of our Green Development concept, and I truly believe the Hope Village project will be a positive contribution to the local community.” 

The CEO took the Ambassador and his entourage on a visual tour of the ‘Hope Village’ site and planned activities under concept, outlining the project’s objectives and the ways in which it will benefit approximately 2,170 residents of Kandagasmankada. He said, amongst the many reasons HIPG selected the village for their pilot model was it being the highest populated in the Hambantota district, and the largest contributor to the agricultural sector within the Lunugamwehera division.  

The Ambassador and delegates were then invited to visit a village home where they spent some time getting to know the residents. The ceremony ended with the Kandagasmankada residents treating the invited guests to a display of their agricultural produce and to a sampling of homemade refreshments.