Financial Times

Sunlight a household name for 125 years

 

Consumers said, “Give me a Sunlight” for many decades when purchasing soap from a shop. Though people knew little about the manufacturer, the soap is a well known brand in Sri Lanka.
This was the glowing tribute paid to Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd, makers of Sunlight Soap, by Gamini Wickramapala, Director, Sri Lanka Samurdhi Programme at the Awards Ceremony of the Sunlight Saubhagya Scholarship Scheme which coincided with Sunlight soap in the Sri Lankan market for the last 125 years, held at the Western Provincial Cultural Centre, Colombo last week.

He said that Sunlight has been a household name everywhere in the country and it is a great feat for a private company of the magnitude of Unilever to embark upon this scholarship scheme that would enlighten the lives of mostly those in the rural areas, unless otherwise these talented young ones would be forgotten.

He said that being in the market for 125 years is a great event to celebrate in a grand scale, but instead of such grandiose celebrations Unilever has chosen this worthy cause. “Sunlight Saubhagya” is a project to harness the entrepreneurial spirit among rural women and empower them by providing them an opportunity to generate a sustainable income to enhance the quality of life of their families.

The Sunlight Saubhagya Scholarship Awards, part of Sunlight Saubhagya Women Empowerment, focuses on highlighting children’s talents in entrepreneurship where they are recognized and rewarded with scholarships to those who excelled academically in arts, drama and sports.

Thus 50 students mostly drawn from rural Sri Lanka were awarded scholarships. Over its 125-year history Sunlight has gone beyond the functional space of providing homes and communities fresh clean clothes. The brand which has grown to be an icon has reached out and touched communities and people of diverse ages, races and cultures. Apart from Sunlight Saubhagya project, Sunlight is also known for its other Corporate Social Responsibility activities such as recognizing unsung heroes in the society and rewarding them.

Susantha Punchchinilame, Minister of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development was the Chief Guest in the presence of Amal Cabraal, Chairman, Unilever Sri Lanka Ltd.


 
Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
 
Other Financial Times Articles
> Board meeting in Lankan prison
> Lankan firms on recruitment freeze in ‘09
> Dankotuwa Porcelain struggles to survive
> General Fonseka to share military success
> David Peiris motor cycles to Jaffna
> COMMENT - Clash of the accountants
> GAP report on corrupt privatisations in Lanka
> CSE orders brokers to stick to forex rules
> Sunlight a household name for 125 years
> Net profit up for Cargills in 2009
> Golden Key Eye and ENT hospital launches new eye package
> Nawaloka Hospital offering a good nights sleep
> SLT net profit drops sharply by 57%
> Govt to step up cotton production- Basil
> SEC directs CSE on four Ceylinco firms
> Gota on Apollo Hospital, Colombo board
> Ceylinco Shriram to submit a repayment plan on Aug 24
> IT-BPO industry HR summit to address economic downturn
> Spence 1Q2009 sees 22.3% drop in profits
> Screenline opens plant in Chennai
> Local computer to facilitate Sri Lanka's ICT goals
> Credit card usage on the decline
> Passenger boats powered by sails mooted for Maldives
> Dialog commissioning services in the North
> Post war optimism for ad industry
> CIMA and ICMA in ‘copycat’ drama
> Ignoring the arbitration clause in contracts is bad business, says SLNAC
> Finlays expects major challenge in trading environment
> Petroleum import costs fall sharply in 1H09
> Former Pakistani test cricketer Rameez invests in Sri Lanka
> CB appoints new Asst. Governors
> Dialog: Rs.9.5 billion loss for 1H09
> Ceylinco Life set to employ 1,700 over next 5 months
> 'Pears Safe Hands' renovates maternity and children's ward
> Swine flu outbreak dampens economic recovery

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 2009 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.| Site best viewed in IE ver 6.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution