Aranayake turned lush green recently when local schoolchildren, principals, district office-bearers and monks alike knelt together to plant 1500 trees in the area, in a bid to combat soil erosion, a private insurer said in a statement. The trees selected were carefully hand-picked by Janashakthi Insurance, who donated trees which were endemic to the area, [...]

The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Janashakthi uplifts Aranayake Community with Maha Oya Water project

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Aranayake turned lush green recently when local schoolchildren, principals, district office-bearers and monks alike knelt together to plant 1500 trees in the area, in a bid to combat soil erosion, a private insurer said in a statement.

The trees selected were carefully hand-picked by Janashakthi Insurance, who donated trees which were endemic to the area, and would provide high returns in terms of economic value. Some of the variants planted included arecanut, kumbuk, nandun and halmilla trees, Janashakthi said in the statement.

The tree-planting is being held as part of a larger commitment by the company to uplift the Maha Oya river catchment area. In April, Janashakthi partnered with Lanka Jalani- the Sri Lanka Water Partnership (SLWP), choosing them as programme advisors to iplement a unique water quality assessment project, conducted by the University of Colombo.

Members of the Janashakthi team also got involved hands-on in the project. “This is my first time participating, and it’s a unique experience to get out of the office and get directly involved in helping the community of Aranayake to live more sustainably,” said Senior Assistant Manager (Marketing Activations) Kalum Weerasinghe as he planted young saplings alongside 20 schoolchildren and the rest of the community.

“The local community often engages in river sand mining, which while providing a lucrative source of income has resulted in harmful soil erosion. It is hoped that the newly planted trees will provide a potential alternative source of livelihood, so that the residents of Aranayake can live sustainably while providing for their families,” the statement added.

Janashakthi Insurance also screened the Sinhala documentary style film, “Mouse” at the same event. The award-winning children’s film, directed by Wasantha Moragoda spotlights child innovation from the point of view of a bright young boy living in difficult circumstances.

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