MAS extends Eco Go Beyond sustainable schools program to India

Tuesday, 7 February 2023 00:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Students and teachers of Kayarambedu Government High School, India, at the launch of the Eco Go Beyond sustainable schools program, with representatives of MAS Holdings, Bodyline, and Intimate Fashions India

Bodyline’s manufacturing unit, Intimate Fashions India supports program rollout

Students participating in the Eco Go Beyond sustainable schools program had the opportunity to learn from award-winning film maker and educator Ramnath Chandrashekar

Fifteen years since its inception, the MAS Eco Go Beyond sustainable development education program was recently extended to India, marking the first time the leading apparel manufacturer, MAS Holdings has taken this initiative outside of Sri Lanka.

The Eco Go Beyond program was launched in the Kayarambedu Government High School and the Nandiwaram Government Boys School, in partnership with MAS’ strategic business unit, Intimate Fashions India Ltd., a manufacturing unit of Bodyline Trading Ltd. The launch allowed students to engage and learn from award-winning film maker and educator Ramnath Chandrashekar and participate in experiential learning to identify sustainability issues in their environment.

“At MAS, we believe that the local communities that surround our operations are a key part of the ecosystem that strengthens our business. That’s why we want to make sure that we help sustain them, just as they sustain us. Over 15 years ago, we recognised the need to invest in sustainable development education as a longer-term intervention in creating change, and we established our sustainable schools program, Eco Go Beyond, in response to this need. We are thrilled to be able to extend this initiative to India and are grateful to the wonderful educators we’ve partnered with here, who share our beliefs,” said MAS Holdings Head – Social Sustainability Amanthi Perera.

With 15 years in operation in Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Eco Go Beyond program has been activated in over 120 schools across the country. The program incorporates sustainability concepts through three phases of sensitisation, activation, and reward. MAS believes that schools can be catalysts in driving change—as spaces devoted for learning with allocated time, resources, and educators, they proved to be the most effective places to influence a captive audience.

The launch in the Kayarambedu Government High School and the Nandiwaram Government Boys School were attended by students, educators, guest speakers, community leaders, as well as representatives from MAS Holdings, Bodyline, and Intimate Fashions India.

MAS hopes to continue its expansion of the Eco Go Beyond program in India and beyond in years to come, venturing into other communities and localities which MAS operates in, as part of its MAS Plan for Change commitment to create ‘thriving communities’.