Watawala Plantation’s vocational training centre wins ASIAN CSR Award
View(s):Watawala Plantations PLC, a member of the Sunshine Group, won the Asian CSR Leadership award 2014 under the category ‘promoting employment for the physically challenged’.
The plantation company’s submission for the awards was based on the theme “Together we will make a difference” and its focus was on the vocational training centre at Kenilworth estate, which operates on a mission to empower the differently-abled. Dr. Dan Seevaratnam, CEO of Watawala Plantations PLC, Ronnie Almeida, General Manager HR and Administration and Dinesh Perera Manager – Kenilworth Estate were present at the awards ceremony hosted by the Asian Confederation of Business, at the Taj Palace Hotel in Dubai, according to a company media release.
The Kenilworth Estate established the Vocational Training Centre back in 1998, to ease the challenges and socio economic issues faced by the differently abled within the plantation community and surrounding village communities. Since its establishment, the Centre has provided a respectable livelihood to these categories of physically challenged individuals.
The Vocational Training Center, currently houses 12 differently abled associates and trains them in producing envelopes, environmentally friendly paper bags, tea sample bags, factory container bags, greeting cards and the like – all of which have developed a ready market through the management facilitation. Majority of the produce is sold within the Sunshine Group, and the income generated is distributed amongst the differently abled associates as a monthly remuneration, helping them to stay self-sufficient. Monthly medical checks, medical treatment and the maintenance of medical files for each one has secured for them the comfort of sound medical care and attention, the statement said.
“We, as a socially responsible Group, and especially a plantation company who deals with a vast number of people and their livelihoods, are committed to uplift the lives of those physically challenged and to give them a new lease in life to live with dignity and this kind of recognition is encouraging and would also go towards further empowering our people,” said Dr. Seevaratnam.