An island wide awareness program was launched in 2017, to educate and protect children from the dengue virus.

The Program, covered 200 schools, temples and other selected public places. The program was aimed at educating schoolchildren on the management of the illness and how to take care of an affected person.

The documentary produced under the directions and guidance of the National Dengue Control Unit and Institute of Infectious Disease, gives a comprehensive understanding to schoolchildren on managing the dengue patient in the crucial period when the dengue symptoms develop and to the final recovery and post recovery stages.

A poster campaign backed the video to constantly remind children and adults of the dangers of the environment they live in and how to protect themselves from the disease.

A series of health camps were held in Galle, Kandy and Kurunegala districts culminating in a three-day camp at Siddhalepa Ayurveda Hospital in Mount Lavinia in April 2018.

Towards achieving our mission of creating a healthy society, we conducted these camps to promote good health among our business partners mainly wholesale and retail traders of Siddhalepa products.

The health camp conducted by eminent Ayurveda specialists and physicians was attended by an unprecedented number of over 2000 traders in the western province.

The program awakened the traders to an important aspect of their lives with Siddhalepa promoting the concept of Ayurveda and its therapies in promoting good health and a balanced lifestyle, on the journey towards building a healthier nation.

Siddhalepa has also ensured the continuity of this program with a framework to receive feedback and free consultations and treatment for all traders who attended the camp.

Our Kekulu All Island Art Competition for pre - school children has been held for the sixth consecutive year.

Named after the dental care brand Kekulu for children the competition is open to preschool children in all 25 districts of the country, culminating in the selection of an overall winner, and two runners up. All participants receive a certificate as an encouragement and recognition of their participation.

The company’s commitment to the younger generation is channelled through this competition, carrying the Siddhalepa message of natural, safe and mild protection and care for infants and young children, through their Kekulu range to all mothers.

The most recent value addition to this event was the introduction of the Kekulu Privilege Card, creating wonderful opportunities for children to begin their education.

Siddhalepa was the FMCG in Sri Lanka to launch a loyalty card for children, offering a host of benefits like free school books and bags, school equipment, bicycles, and laptops.

Eligibility to receive privilege cards was based on sending the specified number of Kekulu soap wrappers, cologne, toothbrush and toothpaste cartons.

Siddhalepa also presented the Kekulu Privilege Card to the 100 students whose entries were selected as the best from over 60,000 entries.

We have enhanced our environment protection activities at key religious sites and festivals like Kataragama Devale Festival, Kandy Esala Perehera, Seenigama Devale Festival, Ratnapura Saman Devale Festival, Getabenewa Festival and Ragama Thewatte Basilica Feast.

Over the years we worked towards a cleaner environment at these sites while providing refreshing health drinks and operating first aid services.

Now our new zero sugar, zero calorie health drink Acqualive has replaced the traditional Lak Peyawa Dhansala at these sites.

A garbage separation system has been introduced to our regular supply of garbage bins on these sites. Garbage bins in different colours are supplied for plastic, polythene, paper for devotees’ convenience and recycling purposes.

At Kataragama, we maintain the iron fence around the temple, notice boards at the three main entrances to the temple, 12 concrete benches, the signposts and lamp posts in the area.

At the Dalada Esala Perehera we provided first aid services with medical officers, officers from government agencies and Siddhalepa staff in attendance.

Forty 40 waste bins to Getabenewa Dewale, 35 to Saman Devale, and 20 to Seenigama Devale were donated this year in the ongoing supply and maintenance of waste bins at religious sites.

We rebuilt the tsunami affected Janadhipathi Balika Vidyalaya, at a total cost of Rs. 110 Mn, with the assistance of tourism partners. The school reconstructed and relocated in Walahanduwa, Galle was originally Anula Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Magalle, Galle.

The upper school covering an area of 37,000 square feet, was built at a cost of Rs. 70 million.

The building consists of 32 Class rooms, three laboratories for chemistry, physics and biology, a first aid and home science room, Auditorium, Library, canteen, agriculture room and aesthetics room, staff room, teacher’s training room and toilets.

The lower school was built at a cost of Rs. 40 million and consists of 20 class rooms, lunch room, science lab, library, Computer Room, staff room, staff meeting room, principal’s office, play ground and play area with equipment and toilets.

Building a greener nation with our school children

We cultivate indigenous herbs on large scale, providing a livelihood for rural people. Conservation of ayurveda plants, some of which are becoming extinct and endangered is another Siddhalepa community service.

A program launched in 2010 called herbal garden in schools has now received the patronage of larger environment groups.

The ongoing program run by our sales teams includes: identifying schools, preparing land for plantation, plant, manure and tools distribution, monitoring progress, organising and conducting lectures from ayurveda doctors.

Over 25,000 plants have been donated under this initiative, with each school receiving about 50 -100 plants initially. The most common plants are: Nelli, Katupila, Ranawara, Komarika, Hathawariya, Beli and Ginger.

Siddhalepa recently funded a computer lab for student monks of the Parama Dhamma Chaitya Pirivena in Ratmalana. The lab was declared opened by Chairman, Herttigoda Industries Group, Deshabandu, Dr. Victor Hettigoda under the auspices of the Chief Priest and Director of the Pirivena, the Venerable Maitape Wimalasara Thero. The funding of the lab was a donation by Siddhalepa under their scheme “Diri Daru Aramudala.”

Siddhalepa has strengthened their environment protection drive at Sri Pada this season with a new garbage management initiative. To encourage pilgrims to differentiate and dispose of garbage in an organized manner, the company has placed 10 by 10 iron grilled garbage containers with separate compartments for polythene and plastic, in two locations, Gangulethenna and Seetha Gangula, on the path to the peak.

Over the decades, Siddhalepa has initiated and taken the lead in protecting the environment on the scared mountain in addition to their first aid camp for pilgrims. The winding steps of the six kilometre climb to the peak of Sri Pada on the Hatton road from Nallathanniya to the Uda Maluwa are dotted with waste bins provided and maintained by Siddhalepa which have proved to be immensely useful to devotees as they dispense of water bottles and other disposables on their journey.

Meanwhile Siddhalepa’s healing hands reach out to the unending stream of pilgrims who pay annual homage to the sacred mountain where the foot imprint of the Lord Buddha enshrines its holy peak.

Siddhalepa treats over 1.5 million devotees climbing to the peak with refreshing bottles of AquaLive during daytime and a warm cup of Lak Peyawa in the nighttime in their first aid camp in Gangulethenna, about 2.5 km to the peak of the mountain.

In an unbroken tradition of 41 years, a team of Siddhalepa staff supported by a team of volunteers on 24-hour duty, in two shifts, work tirelessly in the camp anointing the foreheads of pilgrims with Siddhalepa balm, protecting them from the icy winds that blow across the mountain as they reach the summit. On their descent, the weary flocks of pilgrims are once again treated for their pains and discomforts with foot, head and shoulder massages by the ministering team. The camp has the capacity to hold about 100 pilgrims at a time.

Pilgrims with minor ailments like swollen feet, joints and those with aches and pains of body and limb are given some relief at the first aid camp by these volunteers.

This year with the dawn of the first Poya, a similar operation begins for those pilgrims who climb to the peak from the two routes on the Ratnapura Road. A location about 3 km away from the peak, called Galvangediya is where Siddhalepa’s second first aid camp will be set up to cater to those pilgrims using the Rathnapura route to reach the peak.

Siddhalepa has also erected the sign boards, direction boards and environment protection boards as well as the garbage management bins to make this less used ascent to the peak as welcoming, and friendly and protected as the more popular Hatton route to the peak.

- Siddalepa staff and volunteers in action at the first aid camp

- The team of volunteers who work with the Siddhalepa staff at the Siddhalepa Sri Pada first aid camp

- Pilgrims refreshing themselves with a complimentary Lak Peyawa drink

- The new iron grilled garbage separation containers