Sampath Bank’s tree planting programme extended

Sampath Bank recently launched the extension of its ‘Gasai Mamai Pubudu Pothai’ tree planting programme with the introduction of a vegetable gardening programme at the Zonal Education Office, Piliyandala.

The bank launched its ‘Gasai Mamai Pubudu Pothai’ tree planting programme in 2021 with the participation of schools located in those areas where it had earlier undertaken its ‘Wewata Jeewayak’ tank restoration programme. Pleased with the progress and positive outcomes of this program, the bank launched this initiative--a vegetable gardening programme with the participation of students, teachers and principals of schools in the Zonal Education Office, Piliyandala. Going forward, the bank plans to extend this programme to a selection of 100 schools in Colombo and Colombo suburbs, it said in a media release.

The plan is to distribute 10 types of vegetable seeds plus organic fertiliser and a set of cultivating tools per school, as per the request of the school or at the discretion of each school. Sampath Bank purchased the seeds from the Seed Planting Material Development Center of the Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, ‘Gasai Mamai Pubudu Pothai’, the fruit sapling planting programme launched last year is being successfully implemented in the Bibile, Kahatagasdigiliya, Talawakelle, Dehiattakandiya, Hingurakgoda and Jaffna Educational zones.

The objective of this programme is to inculcate the traditional values of cultivation in the younger generation, whilst heightening the environmental consciousness in the minds of these schoolchildren.

“Building upon the success of the tree planting programme was a logical next step,” said Lalith Weragoda - Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Sampath Bank PLC. “Tree planting promises great future benefits, and encourages schoolchildren to develop long term goals-- Vegetable cultivation in school gardens is the next step of strengthening the bond between the environment and school children. That was the thinking behind Sampath Bank’s ‘Gasai Mamai Pubudu Pothai’ vegetable gardening campaign.”