Page 11 - Hemas_Piyawara_Book

CHAPTER 01

The tale as told by the ‘Pothe Gura’

t was nothing new to them. Hemas Holdings PLC was always into corporate social This had followed a meeting with ministry officials with whom Shiromi was in contact
Iresponsibility (CSR) projects and it was in this culture that the Executive Director after the Kalutara pilot attempt, at which the spotlight had been turned on a “huge
of the Hemas Outreach Foundation, Shiromi Masakorala, then attached to the Fast- problem” along with a fervent appeal to “join hands” with the ECCD Programme.
Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Division, was going about her work.
In June-July 2002, the Hemas team criss-crossed the whole of Sri Lanka to get an insight
Back in 2001, Hemas with their flagship product ‘Baby Cheramy’ had partnered with into issues linked to preschools for they knew that ECCD is a critical human capital
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) to make parents more knowledgeable on investment.
how to equip their little ones with the right foundation under an Early Childhood
Development Project. The project piloted in the Kalutara district had not yielded the Everything clicked because it synchronized with the very ideology of the Hemas
expected results and been abandoned. Group – an inclusive society where no child is left behind. The thinking was simple and
clear – a holistic approach to ECCD with the additional component of infrastructure
Early childhood or the period from birth to about 8 years has been scientifically development.
proven as the most important in a child’s life. It is the period when the child’s
brain is like a blank canvas to be drawn by the child’s experiences, with around ……..And so was born ‘Project Piyawara’ in 2002 with the primary spotlight on ECCD
80% of brain development taking place then. Early Childhood Care and through the establishment of child-friendly ‘Model’ Preschools across Sri Lanka to set
Development (ECCD) aims to provide all inputs necessary for the child to reach the small ones along a pathway of lifelong learning, inclusive of social skills.
his/her potential. Piyawara signifies the initial steps taken by a child at the beginning of his/her journey. Its
focus – children in the tender age group of 3-5 years.
Under the overarching umbrella of ECCD is assured the child’s cognitive, physical,
social and emotional development. The all-encompassing Piyawara Framework included creating parental awareness;
engaging in teacher training; improving recreational facilities; empowering children with
So, armed with business acumen, the Hemas Group in coordination with the Children’s
Secretariat (now the National Early Childhood Care and Development Secretariat) of special needs; working towards the eradication of child abuse; improving infrastructure
the then Ministry of Social Services set about putting forth a long term, not ad hoc, development – adding model preschools to the national network or upgrading existing
strategic CSR plan for the betterment of the tiny tots of Sri Lanka in May 2002. structures to meet minimum standards required for model preschools; and emergency
intervention during national disasters, whether natural or man-made.

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