Sirio in Badalgama offers financial assistance to restore 65 houses in the vicinity damaged due to t

Sirio Ltd, a leading export oriented apparel company in Badalgama, engaged in a massive CSR program where the company offered financial assistance to restore 65 houses of Sirio employees and people in the vicinity who suffered heavy losses due to the recent tornado in Badalgama, causing heavy property damage. 

The event to provide financial assistance took place in Sirio premises and was attended by Sirio CEO and Omega Line Group Director Felix A. Fernando, Divulapitiya Divisional Secretary H M L S Herath, Katukenda Grama Niladhari J P I L Jayakody and OIC, Badalgama Police Station Kolitha Ranatunga. 

Fernando initiated this noble CSR venture with a quick decision to bring relief to grief stricken people in Badalgama who suffered at the hand of this natural disaster, which took place on 12 January. 

Representatives of Sirio spoke with people affected by the disaster, which included Sirio company workers, to estimate costs to repair their badly damaged houses. 

Providing financial assistance was done in three categories. In the first category, finances were provided to fully restore houses of 26 workers of Sirio who live in Katukenda, Menikwatte, Diklanda, Heeralugedera, Agalegedera and Pethigoda. The second category saw financial assistance being provided to people of 15 houses in the vicinity. 

In the third category, Sirio provided financial assistance to renovate houses of 23 families in the Katukenda Grama Seva Wasama, (where Sirio located), who took shelter temporarily in tents provided by the government.

In addition to this, on a request made by the Divulapitiya Divisional Secretary H M L S Herath, Sirio offered 100,000 rupees to a poor mother with a differently abled son who lost her house due to the tornado and was living in a temporary house.

Further, Sirio took steps to provide meals for ten days to around 250 families who suffered from the disaster at an expense of 1.2 million rupees.

Fernando speaking on this CSR activity said: “The unfortunate incident that took place on 12 January caused heavy damages to houses and also to our company. We yet again realised, in the midst of this disaster, how much the youth in the vicinity love our company. Power failure and road blockages due to trees falling on electricity wires caused us losses. Many of our workers were stranded in the company premises and were unable to go home. The youth in the vicinity took swift action to clear the roads to provide us relief”.

He added, “Because of this mutual relationship between people in Badalgama and the Sirio Company, we would always come forward compassionately as a company to help these people when they have difficulties. That is the very reason we took immediate steps to restore houses in the vicinity without sticking to restoring only our company premises, which too was badly affected by the disaster. I must also pay my respects to our Chairman, Vincenzo Joppolo and the Calzedonia Italy Company Chairman Dott Sandro Veronesi for their prompt intervention in this cause. Many members of our company did tiring work to bring relief to their neighbors in the vicinity and I pay my respect to them too.”

Badalgama Sirio Company is affiliated to Calzedonia Group in Verona City, Italy. Calzedonia is a world leader in manufacturing lingerie, socks, stockings, bathing suits. 

Five local companies are affiliated to Calzedonia. They are: Omega Line (Sandalankawa and Vavunia), Alpha Apparels (Polgahawela), Benji (Bingiriya) and Sirio (Badalgama). The strength of the workforce in these local companies is over 13,000. Calzedonia has departmental stores in Europe, South America, Middle East and Asia.