Chief Guest at the ceremony was filmmaker and teledrama director Sathischandra Edirisinghe while CDB Chairman Herschel Gunawardena attended the event as the Guest of Honour. A host of other invitees including parents, Directors and senior management of CDB attended the presentation ceremony.
So far, CDB has invested Rs. 12 million since the inception of the Sisu Diri scholarship programme in 2008, which awards scholarships to children of three-wheeler owners as well as minor savings account holders who perform well at the Grade 5 scholarship examination and at the GCE O/L examination. The company has supported 278 students since the start of the scholarship program.

“Seven years after the Sisu Diri programme’s inception, we were able to give assistance to several deserving children, allowing them to pursue their studies without financial constraints. Some of our scholarship holders have also gained entrance to top universities, having successfully completed their Advanced Level examinations. We are committed to do our part to support the nation’s future generation, and contribute to a better future as a responsible corporate,” CDB Chairman Herschel Gunawardena said.

Accordingly, Grade 5 winners will receive Rs. 50,000 cash grant each spread over the five years (Rs. 10,000 a year) until they complete their O/L examinations. Similarly O/L winners will also receive a cash grant of Rs. 30, 000 for the two year tenure whilst studying for their A/L examination (Rs. 15,000 a year). The students can directly benefit from the scholarship funds as CDB grants cash to the parents instead of crediting the money to each child’s account.

Speaking at the ceremony, Janaka Susantha Perera, the father of one of the winners, Janani Uthpala of Helena Wijayawardena Balika Vidyalaya, Gampaha said: “We face many hardships when trying to finance the education of our children. So we are very grateful to CDB for these scholarships, which truly help to ease our financial burden.”

Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Sathischandra Edirisinghe said: “Children are the future, and need constant support and guidance if they are to become well-balanced adults who contribute to society at large. CDB deserves praise for supporting children with the Sisu Diri programme.”
“In today’s context, parents are particularly concerned about their children’s affairs. A happy family fueled by a value-driven home culture will create a multi-skilled child. Therefore, the parent’s responsibility is to make their children happy while pushing them to excel in their education,” he further added.