Shelter for Development Lottery sellers
Sri Lanka’S Development Lottery sellers leading miserable lives with their meagre income are now breathing a sigh of relief following the launch of the Soft Hearts Foundation which is aimed at looking after their welfare.
One of the houses under construction
The Development Lotteries Board (DLB) having considered the sorrowful plight of lottery sellers has set up this charitable foundation with financial donations received from donors, philanthropists, monthly contributions from DLB staff, well-wishers and the public, DLB Chairman S. A. P. Suriyapperuma said.
He noted that the foundation is functioning without any financial burden to the government or the DLB.
The Soft Hearts Foundation, an independent charity, now extends assistance for needy lottery sellers including the disabled depending on their daily lottery ticket sale income when it is below a mere Rs.500.
The foundation is open to the public for any cash donations. Cash donations poured in and many corporate bodies and individuals contributed monies to the foundation for lottery sellers’ welfare measures, Mr. Suriyapperuma added.
The prevailing distribution network of 2500, agents and 15,000 lottery ticket sellers creates employment for the poorest segments of society, ensuring regular incomes to their families.
In addition, the foundation initiated by the DLB contributes directly towards many charitable causes aimed at lottery ticket sellers’ welfare and supporting those in need.
Priyantha Lokuge, a lottery seller from Colombo Fort, said: “We spend days in a small cubicle space, sun or rain, taking great care of our cash, maintaining our accounts and then convincing people to try their luck.”
This shelter programme is a blessing in disguise for poor lottery sellers, he said.
Most of the lottery ticket sellers are living in shanties or small rented houses. There was an urgent need to solve their housing problem to ease their burden and motivate them towards increasing lottery sales. Mr. Suriyapperuma added.
Considering the ‘shelter for development lottery sellers’ as an urgent need, the foundation is now implementing a housing programme for the benefit of those sellers without proper housing facilities.
The aim is to lend a helping hand to the Sales Agents and Sales Assistants as well as customers of DLB, who live under the difficult conditions.
Under this welfare gesture of the DLB, keys of the first house constructed under the sponsorship of the foundation were handed over to lottery seller W.W. Somasiri Fernando and his wife recently.
The foundation stone to build the house was laid a month ago for the first house at the premises of S. Somasiri at Pahala Indibedda, Katubedda, Moratuwa as the first housing project under the foundation.
Another house built in Dambulla under this programme of ‘shelter for development lottery sellers’ will be handed over to recipients on March 15.
The DLB has focused attention on the supply of lottery tickets to the market continuously while paying equal attention on working closely with the lottery dealer network countrywide.
According to a research conducted by the DLB, 18 per cent of the country’s population is in the habit of purchasing lotteries.
The lottery buyers represent all segments of the society including high middle class, as well as low and middle income people, the research revealed.