Atotal of 105 families in Mathugama have been given new hope by the Commercial Bank of Ceylon which completed several projects, aimed at improving the living conditions and aspirations of the people in the area.
People in Sandasirigama received assistance to improve livelihoods while their children received an IT lab, a shrine room and bank accounts with initial deposits under the Bank’s initiative.
“The project, conducted under the Village Development Programme funded by the CSR Trust of the Bank, was aimed at developing infrastructure and uplifting the economy of the village by identifying the best economic activities for the area,” Delakshan Hettiarachchi, Senior Manager – Development Credit of Commercial Bank said.
The Mathugama project involved the provision of loans to 58 villagers at low interest rates with easy repayment methods to develop their cultivations. Among them were 43 tea smallholders. Others were cultivators of betel and pepper for which the soil condition of the village was found to be perfect.
The project also involved setting up an IT lab comprising of two computers and a printer for the Galleniya Kanda primary school. A syllabus on IT is to be provided to the school and exams will be conducted by IDM Computer Studies. 43 children in the village were presented with Commercial Bank Arunalu accounts with initial deposits of Rs 500. The Bank also renovated the Prajashalawa of the village, repairing its roof and installing grills and gates and provided chairs and tables for the nursery.
An eye clinic was conducted with four doctors under this project and a dental clinic is to be conducted in the future. Representatives of the Bank will visit the village periodically to monitor the progress of the project and to identify other needs.
