Etisalat gives back to rural community

Saturday, 31 December 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Etisalat gives back to the Gabbela Maha Vidyalaya in the village of Endana, a rural community of primarily plantation workers. The community of Endana caught Etisalat’s attention following the erection of an Etisalat Telecommunication tower in the area.

Etisalat CEO, Dumindra Ratnayaka said, “As we look to expand the coverage of our network in our quest to become Sri Lanka’s number one mobile telecommunications operator we aren’t forgetting that we as one of Sri Lanka’s largest corporate entities have a social obligation to help uplift struggling communities. So we want to give back to some of the rural communities that could use our contribution, and we chose to give through their school because its through education that we can empower citizens to uplift themselves in the future.”

This initiative by Etisalat was planned in concurrence with the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Gabbela Maha Vidyalaya. The move saw 350 school bags being gifted to the students, the donation of a new printer and a selection of books being added to the catalog of the school library, which is open to students and parents alike.

Endana, located south east of Watapola in the Sabaragamuwa province, became one of the southern locations to fall under Etisalat’s expansion and see the establishment of a telecommunications tower in February of this year. Come year end the community of Endana is boasting one of the highest concentrations of Etisalat subscribers and users amongst the rural locations.

Ratnayaka added, “As mobile technology evolves and the role it plays in the lives of people becomes increasingly vital, the demands of the market increases. Rural communities such as Endana are developing, as they do they look to the services that Telcos can provide to empower them.” He said, “Providing mobile connectivity to Endana was only the first step, we then provided the community access to our industry leading mobile broadband services. Less than a month in and we have already seen substantial subscription numbers. Endana has been a testament to the growing potential in rural communities and their demand for cutting edge mobile connectivity.”