Light to Life Builds Kilinochchi Vocational Training Institute, Heavy Weights Behind the CSR Program

25th November 2009, www.dailymirror.lk

Light to Life is a project by Rotary International District 3220 Sri Lanka, in partnership with JWT & Mindshare Colombo. It is endorsed by the Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka, and aims to build a vocational training institute in Kilinochchi to provide youth in war torn areas with a future through learning.

Since its launch on the 7th of October donations have been pouring in from all over the world particularly from Australia, Canada, UK and the US. Individual donations from little as 1US$ up to US$2,500 are being logged on the website www.lighttolife.lk.

Commenting on the success of the project Ms. Shivi Jayasinghe project Chairperson for the campaign said that the advertising campaign is touching people even in rural Sri Lanka and we receive money orders from villages ranging from Rs500 to even an on-line donation of US$100 from Pilliyandala.

The Light to Life project will erect a spectacular Christmas tree in one of Sri Lanka's premier shopping malls, Crescat Boulevard, from the 1st to the 25th of December. This tree will be a physical representation of a cyber tree that is taking shape through donations at www.lighttolife.lk. The tree has 24 layers and a star to correspond with the 1st 25 days of the month of December. Each layer is worth Rs. 1 million and companies are invited to initially commit a sum of Rs. 250,000, and thereafter encourage their employees, dealers and business partners to contribute the balance Rs. 750,000. So far Dialog, GSK and MAS and JWT Asia Pacific have committed Rs 1 million towards the project.

If the daily target is not met these four entities will step in to underwrite the value up to 1 million each.

Mr. Thayalan Bartlett - Chief Executive Officer of JWT Sri Lanka said, "This is not JWT's Corporate Social Responsibility programme but in fact a CSR programme which we call 'Community Social Responsibility', which gives people and companies worldwide the opportunity to be stakeholders in an initiative. As a corporate policy, JWT actively works for communities it engages with everyday on behalf of its clients' brands. We are of the fervent belief that building a strong and independent community promotes social progression and builds sustainable markets for brands and companies to coexist. We want to make our contribution to a new Sri Lanka."