Page 118 - Hemas_Piyawara_Book

This gave me an opportunity to engage
in social service in a structured manner.
It opened up a pathway to much more
volunteer work.
Roshan Mahanama
Brand Ambassador, Hemas Outreach Foundation
I was fortunate to give leadership to the
activation of the campaign at ground
level. Maximum support was extended
by the Hemas top management as well as
from the staff to make it a super success.
Sajith Mudalige
Senior Manager – Marketing Services of the Hemas Group
110 Hemas Piyawara - A Journey to the Future
The then Commissioner of the Department of Probation and Childcare Services,
Yamuna Perera, had underscored that each child is born with the right to an education.
Despite the free education system, poverty and lack of importance given to education
as a result of family hardships, deprive children of this basic right.
“The Nena Diriya programme is designed to retain children in their family environment.
It provides financial assistance for their education during the most crucial years of
their lives, relieving their family from this financial burden. We are extremely happy
that Hemas through its well-known brand Baby Cheramy, has come forward to support
such a worthy cause,” she had added.
How would the Big Heart Project be funded?
While the Baby Cheramy brand assured a donation of 50 cents from every product sold,
former national cricketer Roshan Mahanama had been invited by the Hemas Outreach
Foundation and with an open heart accepted the invitation to be its volunteer Project
Ambassador.
He had told the media briefing with humility that he was very proud to represent this
“worthy” cause.
“It has been my lifelong dream to support and promote the education of children in Sri
Lanka. A little gesture of kindness today can reap immense benefits in the future for
these children. My ambition is to garner as much support as possible, both locally and
internationally for this cause,” Roshan had assured.
………And garner support he did. This dashing right-hand batsman and brilliant fielder
had called upon his fellow cricketers and ‘Lions’ of Sri Lanka who had brought glory to
the country amidst numerous vicissitudes by winning the treasured 1996 World Cup.
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Taking to the field as a team once again on January 12 , 2013, the legendary cricketers
had not been out to prove their mettle against the Australians as they did back then on
March 17 , 1996 in Lahore, Pakistan, at the World Cup organized by the International
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Cricket Council.
The World Cup champions led by Captain Arjuna Ranatunga had been on a different
quest. It was an exhibition T20 cricket match at the NCC grounds in Colombo with the
opposing cricketers led by another former great, Sidath Wettimuny.