|
NDB
to manage WB project
to empower poor women
The
Finance Ministry recently signed a management contract with the
National Development Bank (NDB), whereby NDB will monitor the
utilisation of a Japanese government grant of US$ 1 mn channeled
through the World Bank to the government of Sri Lanka to empower
poorest of the poor women in the south and the north east.
Rs.
50 mn of this grant will be made available to the Women's Development
Federation (WDF) of Hambantota to be channeled through its Janashakthi
Bank (JB) network. The balance Rs. 50 mn will be made available to the
recipients in the north and east, through Seva Lanka Foundation.
Over
the past two decades, NDB has consistently involved itself in the
provision of financial facilities to medium scale, small and more
recently, micro scale industries, by administering a number of credit
and grant schemes in these sectors. The bank continues to play a
significant role in these areas, wherever funding through credit lines
is available.
So
far, NDB has distributed Rs. 30 billion to create around 30,000 small,
medium and micro enterprises. It is estimated that 200,000 employment
opportunities have been created through these facilities.
NDB's
successful involvement as 'apex' in managing these credit lines had
prompted the World Bank and the Finance Ministry to entrust the
management of this grant to NDB.
NDB,
with the signing of this management contract, wishes to extend its
role to service the needs of the people in the remote Hambantota
District of the Southern Province and the areas of north and east.
This confirms NDB's commitment towards assisting not only the small
and medium sector, but also the micro sector in the provinces.
The
grant component for the Southern Province is to be used for renovation
of tanks, provision of rain harvest storage tanks, cultivation and
micro loans, training of JB officers and borrowers, provision of
computers and the expansion of JB network in Walasmulla area. The
credit component of the grant to be utilised for rainwater harvesting
tanks, cultivation and micro projects is around Rs. 10 million.
The
grant component to be channeled to the north and east, which has been
severely affected by the war that prevailed for two decades, will
basically cover social mobilisation activities, promotion of village
banking activities, entrepreneur development training and also
granting assistance to set up income generating micro projects. Seva
Lanka Foundation, who has been active in the north and east, has been
selected to undertake the projects identified for the north and east.
The
projects to be implemented in the Hambantota district and the north
and east are expected to benefit a large number of poor women in these
areas, which will ultimately help uplift living standards of families
supported by them. This will also encourage a higher percentage of
them to participate in the economic activities of the identified
areas. This is especially true in the case of the north and east,
where female participation in economic activities has been relatively
low.
The
grant also aims at providing opportunities to women in the north and
east to learn from WDF's experience in organising themselves in
implementing various projects as done in the south. This is expected
to help in strengthening the links between women of the north and
south.
Creative
Services celebrates 21 years
Twenty
one years in business particularly in this modern era is indeed an
achievement. That's exactly the achievement of Creative Services
Limited (CSL), a fully fledged advertising agency which began on a
modest scale in 1983 as an associate company of De Alwis Advertising
Company.
"The
decision to set up another agency was made in view of the highly
competitive nature of business which prevailed at the time following
the then government's decision to open the economy. We felt it was
unethical to handle the advertising of competing products and that's
how CSL was born," says Managing Director Herman Gunesekera.
The
agency owes its success to the late Dr. Anandatissa de Alwis, founder
of De Alwis Advertising Company and former MP and State Minister in
the UNP government of 1977 and arguably one of Asia's best
communication experts.
CSL
was incorporated in 1979 but began operations independently in July
1983 - just over a week before the infamous riots hit the capital.
Despite such an inauspicious greeting, the young agency headed by
Herman Gunesekera (who himself is no mean advertising professional
having served the industry for over 25 years) grew appreciably
handling a wide range of established brands and services.
The
advertising industry is one of the most susceptible in times of
economic downturn and CSL survived the blows the industry faced in the
90's and takes pride in its achievements. It has also won awards in
both SLIM and 4A's ad award ceremonies.
The
agency has seen vast changes in the industry with improved and modern
skills, particularly in computer graphics. However, it believes that
the most significant contributor to its success is its strength in
"thinking local."
According
to Herman, "You can be the most brilliant whiz kid in town, but
if you lose sight of the basic principles of advertising, you are
wasting your time and your client's money. Change is imminent, But
principles are not."
The
agency is a strong advocate of responsible advertising. Gunesekera
adds, "We strive to ensure that our work is unique and creative
but more importantly, responsible. Far too many advertisements are
been produced without due consideration to social, cultural and even
religious issues. We want to be known as an agency that thinks local
and produces quality, responsible and result-oriented work at a
reasonable cost."
More
Stories
|
