Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the national ICT and digital solutions provider conducted another “Manudam Paramitha” programme at the Wadduwa Thalpitiya Bodhirajamaha Viharaya on Poya Day. Over 150 daham pasal students as well as monks from the piriven in the Wadduwa area participated for this programme as well as SLT and Mobitel staff from Wadduwa and Colombo offices.

Manudam Paramitha is an initiative commenced by SLT during the year 2016, where the company conducts special programmes every Poya day, at Buddhist temples across the country, with the aim of supporting the community as well as to strengthen and empower rural schools and the education sector in Sri Lanka. During the programme, the company gave away broadband connections with the rental waived off for 12 months to the schools and piriven that participated in the programme, in order to encourage and support ICT education of students and monks who attend these institutions. SLT also provided books on a wide range of subjects to the libraries of the schools, and also distributed school bags and stationeries to 50 underprivileged students in the area.

Bags of traditional Sri Lankan rice, rich in nutritional value were also distributed to elders in the area. Pregnant mothers were provided with nutrition packs, sponsored by Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd., SLT’s mobile arm. SLT also went on to donate 28 sacred Bo trees to the Wadduwa Thalpitiya Bodhirajamaha Viharaya to be planted inside the temple premises to symbolize the value of the sacred Bo trees as well as to support environment protection and to encourage the community to plant more trees since that is becoming an urgent need today amidst the reality of global warming and climate change.  In the evening, SLT staff and the participants had the privilege of attending the Atawisi Bodhi Pooja conducted at the Viharaya.

Being the national ICT and digital solutions provider to the nation, SLT is committed to doing its part to give back to the community and empower citizens in every way possible. The company strives to do this not only by providing ready access to ICT and ultra-fast broadband connectivity, but also by conducting corporate social responsibility programmes such as these, which support and empower different communities in the country by fostering religious harmony and unity.