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Right to Left – Deputy General Manager of Fashion Bug Dr. S. H. M. Faraaz, Director, Career Guidance & Development, University of Colombo, AjithJayawardana, and supportive staff
Leading retail clothing chain Fashion Bug has provided career guidance to 11,500 students in 28 schools under its educational CSR platform ‘Sisu Dirimaga.’
“We launched this program with the intention of helping school leavers who need guidance regarding their future career paths. It is our aim to conduct these programs in a total of 120 schools, thus benefitting over 100,000 students in total,” said Director Fashion Bug Shabier Subian who came up with the concept.
The company, which in the recent past has been involved in many such CSR initiatives, has organised a series of island wide career guidance workshops together with the Provincial Education Offices for students sitting for their Advanced Level examinations.
The most recent program was conducted last week at the Maliyadeva Girls College Kurunagala, with over 1,100 students from both Maliyadeva as well as Wayamba Royal College Kurunagala taking part.
The resource person for this workshop was Director, Career Guidance & Development, University of Colombo, Ajith Jayawardana. Divisional Secretary, Kurunagala, E. M. M. S. Ekanayaka also attended the event. Representing Fashion Bug were Human Resources Development Manager Namal Ekanayaka, Marketing Executive Oshada Eragoda, Deputy General Manager Dr S. H. M. Faraaz, and other senior staff members who lent their support .
“The Sisu Dirimaga Foundation is a sustainable CSR platform as opposed to miscellaneous one-off projects that lack long term objectives. The Sisu Dirimaga program will ensure that all our projects will stem from one key platform, establishing a clear CSR identity for Fashion Bug as a responsible Corporate Citizen, as well as giving our customers the satisfaction of being part of a noble national cause, namely that of bettering the prospects of rural school leavers,” said Dr Faraaz.
A number of projects have got under way as part of Fashion Bug’s Sisu Dirimaga scheme: namely the drinking water project that was completed and presented to the Ovitigamuwa Maha Vidyalaya, the donation of a computer unit to the Thumbe Kanishta Vidyalaya, and most recently the sponsorship of the Dhammikka Kithulgoda Scholarship Foundation in the presence of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thilanga Sumathipala.
“Developing underprivileged schools in rural areas through the mobilising of projects, upholding and financially enabling underprivileged students who excel academically, enabling the dreams of those with the desire to learn and making a reality of education for all no matter your circumstances is our goal”, said Subian.