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CHAPTER 05

Tribute to a sustainable Public-Private Partnership

any dynamic officials have played a major role in supporting the Hemas Group were podi-podi (small) places, without basic facilities and not in safe environments.
Mto get Piyawara off the ground and be as strong as it is now. Positive interactions The Hemas Group was intent on setting up good preschools.
with bureaucracy had come in 2006 from the then Secretary of the newly-established
Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Empowerment, Indrani Sugathadasa. “The ministry with its wide network of Child Development Officers and Women's
Development Officers and with easy access to Probation and Childcare Officers at the
Just before this period, Piyawara had been on a relatively small scale. very grassroots, all based in Divisional Secretariats, took on the role of coordination
while the Hemas Group provided full funding and other support for the preschools
“It was a brand new ministry with a special focus on children and women,” says Indrani under Piyawara,” she says, underscoring that Hemas had a plan and a target it was set
who has a passion for helping these vulnerable groups.
on achieving.
The Children’s Secretariat was then under this ministry and Sri Lanka had declared She explains that with PPPs being crucial for such national projects, the
2006 the ‘Year for Children’, with many events being held to bring to the fore their government had the capacity and experience and the Hemas Group gave
importance.
generously in the form of funding and brought in a strong commitment. Hemas
Indrani says that the strengthening of Piyawara as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) did not just do it to gain a name as happens with business entities which generally
got new vigour. It was among vital long-lasting projects, while another was the setting have a profit motive in whatever endeavour they undertake.
up of the Child Helpline 1929 at the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). Commending and appreciating the contribution of the Hemas Group to a national
Seeing the steadfast commitment of the Hemas Group to Sri Lanka’s children, the then cause through this sustainable corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, she says
government had appointed a Hemas team member to the NCPA Board of Directors.
that the public-private synergy worked very well in this case.
This honour complemented an earlier acknowledgement of Hemas in 2004, when a Indrani adds with fervour: “It was a nopasu basna adishtanayak (commitment without
team member was appointed to the National Committee on Early Childhood Care and looking backwards) on the part of the Hemas Group.”
Development (ECCD), a post which is still held by Hemas.
Before 2006, an official who worked closely with the Hemas Group on the Piyawara
Delving into pre-Piyawara times, Indrani creates images of little ones trooping into project in the early 2000s was then Director of the Children’s Secretariat, Sunil
so-called early learning centres which were mushrooming all over the country. They
Samaraweera.

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