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Fashion Bug Marketing Executive Oshada, two Senior Prefects, University of Colombo Senior Career Counselor Ajith Jayawardana, Fashion Bug Ratnapura Branch Manager Irfan, Fashion Bug Marketing Manager Samadi Abeysinghe, Fashion Bug Area Manager Riyas, Senior Teacher Ferguson High School Dinithi Dammini, J.K. Kamani Perera, Fashion Bug Senior Marketing Executive Ishan and Fashion Bug Human Resources Development Manager Namal Ekanayaka
Fashion Bug, one of Sri Lanka’s leading retail clothing stores with over 17 outlets island wide, who launched their CSR program, career guidance, under its Educational CSR platform ‘Sisu Dirimaga’; have now completed 14 schools with 2,700 students having benefitted.
“We launched this program in February this year 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 Fashion Bug Director Shabier Subian, whose brainchild this was.
The company, which in the recent past has been involved in many such CSR initiatives, has organised a series of islandwide career guidance workshops together with the Provincial Education Offices for students who are doing the Advanced Level examination.
The most recent program was conducted last week at the Ferguson High School Ratnapura, where over 550 students participated.
The resource person for these workshops is Ajith Jayawardana – Senior Career Counselor of the University of Colombo, while others associated with the program belong to the respective educational ministries of each province.
Also associated with the program were Namal Ekanayaka – Human Resources Development Manager, Samadi Abeysinghe – Marketing Manager, Dr. S.H.M. Faraaz – Deputy General Manager and other senior staff members of Fashion Bug.
“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.
The topics addressed at these workshops include how to get through A-level exams effectively and in a stress-free manner, coping with educational as well as family issues, managing time effectively, as well as instructing students on how to asses themselves as a student and how to pre plan their future taking into account their individual strengths and desires.
New industries to enter and how to plan subjects accordingly to meet the country’s demand and supply for jobs, what sort of jobs are popular and what areas are risky, strategic planning on what one needs to do in order to select A/L subjects to match the chosen career path, are also amongst the topics under discussion.
Additionally, included in the program are a few motivational programs, as well as ‘tricks and strategies’ on how best to prepare yourself for exams. Real life examples of successful leaders and professionals are also given, thus serving to further motivate students to achieve their goals.
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 the computer unit at the Thumbe Kanishta Vidyalaya, and most recently the sponsorship of the Dhammikka Kithulgoda scholarship foundation in the presence of the Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne.
In addition, Fashion Bug is also involved in several other CSR projects which includes the refurbishment of the maternity ward at Ragama Teaching hospital, the Kalubowila Hospital, Maharagama Cancer Hospital, and an environmental project in Kurunegala, namely ‘Thuru Sahasak’.
“Each Fashion Bug outlet works closely with its community. We have close links with the community centers and religious communities of all religions and we actively participate in and contribute to all their events. As part of the profits generated from a branch in a particular area are channeled towards the CSR project of that area, our customers who patronise that particular outlet are proud custodians of that particular project and feel that they too are working side by side with us,” said Subian.
“Developing underprivileged schools in rural areas through 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.
