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Afrin
Afrin
Dec 31 2025
28John Keells Foundation (JKF) and Rajawella Holding’s Victoria Golf Resort (VGR) vested the Nithulemada Model Pre-School in the Medadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha with the aim of improving access to early childhood education for children aged 3–5 years in the Medadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha of the Kandy District.
For over two decades, children in Udagama, representing diverse ethnicities, were deprived of adequate pre-school facilities. The dedicated teacher of Mihira Pre-School had to relocate operations multiple times due to the lack of permanent space. Recognising this challenge, JKF initiated discussions in 2020 to provide the village with suitable pre-school facilities. After years of planning and collaboration with the Provincial Education Ministry, the Early Childhood Development Unit (ECDU) and Medadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha, challenged by the COVID pandemic, economic crisis, and adverse weather, a well-structured and centrally located pre-school was successfully completed in October 2025.
The vesting ceremony was graced by Hon. K.D. Lalkantha, Kandy District MP and Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation together with the Provincial Commissioner, Chamila Atapattu and Chairman of Medadumbara Pradeshiya Sabha, Ravindu Uswatakeyyawa, while the John Keells Group was represented by Mr. Zaafir Hashim, President of the Transportation Sector; Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of CSR; Mr. Dileep Mudadeniya, Senior Vice President, Global Alliances and Partnerships, and Head of Corporate Affairs; and Mr. Kanchana Wickramasinghe, General Manager of Victoria Golf Resort.
Speaking at the event, Ms. Carmeline Jayasuriya said, “We are delighted to see the completion of the model pre-school in Nithulemada – a project under John Keells Praja Shakthi – JKF’s business-centric community empowerment initiative – undertaken in collaboration with VGR and the Central Provincial government. The need for supporting early childhood development through adequate pre-school facilities was a priority we identified in discussion with the community and government authorities. While our focus on Education recognises the importance of providing equitable access to opportunities and resources, we are equally committed to fostering social cohesion among the communities. Through our initiatives, we aim to create learning environments that not only support academic development but also encourage understanding, respect, and unity among children and communities towards empowering a singular Sri Lankan identity.”
In his address Hon. K. D. Lalkantha said, “It is extremely difficult to change the habits of adults. However, young children can be shaped and guided from an early age to become disciplined, responsible citizens. If we nurture them correctly, they will grow up understanding that, regardless of whether we are Tamil, Muslim, or Sinhala, our foremost identity is that we are Sri Lankans. I strongly believe that the government must place greater emphasis on early childhood development, alongside primary, secondary, and university education. If we truly want to change, we must begin at the very foundation. Madadumbara is a large area, yet this is the first government-run preschool established here. That is significant. I hope that this preschool will set a strong standard and serve as a model for many more government-established preschools across the country.”
A large number of parents, local government and community representatives attended the event. Adding colour to the event, preschool children delighted the audience with a dance performance, while students from JKF’s English Language Scholarship Programme in Nithulemada impressed guests with a confident dialogue in English, showcasing the impact of JKF’s educational initiatives.
John Keells Foundation remains committed to creating equitable and impactful educational opportunities through multiple initiatives within its vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’.
Education, Community & Livelihoods, Social Health & Cohesion, and Biodiversity are the four focus areas of John Keells Foundation - the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), largest company listed on the CSE in terms of market capitalization operating over 80 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 18,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka's 'Most Respected Entity' for the last 20 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the fourth consecutive year in the 'Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment' by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’ through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.
