Sampath Bank started the restoration process of the Delikedali wewa in Dambana, Mahiyanganaya. The tank acts as the main water supply for 104 acres of paddy fields in the area and provides more than 90 families with their livelihoods. It is also of the utmost importance for the livelihoods of the indigenous community in the area. The tank’s sludge levels have risen constantly in the past few decades, resulting in difficulties storing large quantities of water. As the bunt and sluice need reconstruction, many farmers and indigenous people face hardships. However, with the assistance of the ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ initiative, the spill and water canals are in the process of being developed, which would ease the trouble of citizens having to trudge miles in search of water for irrigation and consumption purposes. This restoration reflects the Bank’s newest Corporate Campaign, ‘Pohosath Minissu: values that bind us beyond a transaction,’ which brings a fresh and vibrant perspective to their iconic brand. Pohosath Minissu believes that true wealth lies in material wealth and shared beliefs and values, which binds the Bank to the whole of Sri Lanka: its people and nature. By restoring the Delikedali wewa under the ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ restoration program, Sampath Bank has reaffirmed its commitment to Sri Lanka’s people, particularly its indigenous community.
“Today, it is no secret that now more than ever, we feel the importance of the farmer who enables us to eat our daily rice,” said Ajantha De Vas Gunasekara, Executive Director and CFO, attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the tank’s restora- tion. “We have to protect the farmers and provide the neces- sities they need. If there is no water, there is no farming. Therefore, maintaining the water supply and the irrigation system is essential. Unfortu- nately, many of our tanks have now fallen into disrepair, some- thing we’re aiming to change with the ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ program. We’re confident that with the restoration of this tank, the farming community will obtain added benefits and aid for a prosperous tomorrow.”
President of the Delikedali Wewa Farmers’ Association Ajith Amarasiri, giving his thoughts, said: “Almost everyone in this region lives by farming. For some time, we could farm well, and we received water as needed from the tank. But with the tank falling into disrepair, we cannot cultivate even a season’s worth. We decided it was time to repair this tank. But we didn’t have the resources to do so. We’re delighted that Sampath Bank saw our suffering and stepped in to help us. They took up not just repairing the tank but also repairing our lives.”
