“Pulle Madu” to medical school: record intake signals turning point for plantation sector welfare

Many generations ago, an estate child's first years began in a cloth hammock strung up near the rows of tea bushes, so a mother could keep working within earshot of her infant. Later a corner in a line room was converted to establish Pulle Madu, where infants and toddlers were sheltered to ensure that plucking by their mothers was not disrupted.

Today, fully equipped Child Development Centers (CDC’s) complete with qualified and trained CDC officers have replaced the old Pulle Madu, to offer children the same level of education and exposure that any child in a city avails. These children receive custodial care, and child development support through these CDC’s, while Early Childhood Centers (ECD) lay greater emphasis on structured early learning through a play-based curriculum, while also providing dedicated spaces for working mothers to breastfeed.

These Centers are the result of the collaborative efforts of the Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs), the Government of Sri Lanka, and key plantation-sector trade unions, including the Planters’ Association of Ceylon. Together, these stakeholders form the tripartite body that established the Planters’ Human Development Trust (PHDT) in 1992, and have since contributed to significant development across the 22 RPCs.

The RPCs collectively spend nearly Rs. 720 million annually to maintain these CDC’s, reflecting the sector’s continued investment in childhood development and the wellbeing of plantation communities. This foundation supports their continued education and health development and, in the long term, helps them progress towards successfully completing the GCE O/L and A/L examinations.

To date, primary school enrolment among children from plantation communities has reached 100%, while approximately 2–3% of students go on to pursue higher education at local universities. Over the past two years, nearly 250 children from plantation families have gained admission to university, marking the highest number recorded by the sector to date. Among them is a young man from Strathspey Estate, now training to be a doctor at Eastern University. "Everything I have achieved is a direct result of my parents' tireless hard work," he said, thanking his teachers and the scholarship grant that carried him through school, whose identity is withheld in line with the programme's standard practice for student privacy.

It also manifests powerfully in Roots to Wings, the university start-up scholarship initiative launched by PHDT in collaboration with the Planters’ Association and other industry partners. “Every year we saw bright students earn a place at university and then risk losing it, not for lack of ability, but because they couldn’t afford a laptop, a set of books, or even proper clothing to arrive on campus with dignity,” explained PHDT Director General Lal Perera. “To correct this situation, after careful study, we facilitated a scheme that bridges the most urgent gap. We cover the immediate start-up costs, while the Regional Plantation Companies, through their CEOs, ensure that the student is carried through to graduation. If a family loses estate housing when a parent retires, we don’t let that end a degree either. Students are granted extensions, and where needed, RPCs provide new housing, supported in part by Indian High Commission grants. Once a child has earned a place at university, we consider it our duty to make sure that place is never lost to circumstance.”

This scheme has become more than financial assistance; it is a lifeline of dignity, continuity, and hope. By addressing the hidden barriers that often derail promising futures, Roots to Wings ensures that talent from the plantation sector is not wasted but nurtured into leadership for tomorrow. It is a model of shared responsibility, where industry stakeholders collectively safeguard the aspirations of youth, transforming vulnerability into opportunity and circumstance into achievement.

The scheme costs an estimated LKR 10 to 15 million a year, funded by various industry stakeholders. The 2024 to 2025 cohort spans 35 Arts students, 22 in Commerce and Management, 13 in Drama and Theatre, 10 in Bio-systems, 7 in Music, 6 in ICT, four each in Medicine and Engineering, three in Engineering Technology, two in Law and 24 across other faculties, a spread once unimaginable on estates where literacy in PHDT's target areas has climbed from 40 to 84 percent. Specialised degree pathways and vocational opportunities such as Uva Wellassa University's Bachelor of Science Honours in Plantation Management, vocational training through the National Institute of Business Management and digital learning through the Open University of Sri Lanka has further empowered students with promising academic and career prospects.

The health figures tracked alongside the Department of Census and Statistics and the Family Health Bureau since 1992, shows infant mortality falling from 18.3 per 1,000 live births to 4.65, and under five mortality from 42.6 to 6.26. Maternal mortality, once as high as 150 per 100,000 live births, has fallen close to zero in most recent figures, and stillbirths have dropped from 40 per 1,000 deliveries to under five today. Nearly all deliveries now happen in health institutions, almost every mother receives antenatal care, and every child completes first year immunization, which are gains attributed to better roads, housing, welfare services and preventive healthcare across the estates.

Nutrition support has similarly evolved, with centers moving from contractor-supplied meal packets towards parent-prepared midday meals. A centrally managed kitchen model has also been piloted at Dessford Estate, with a second facility planned at Holyrood Estate. However, officials do acknowledge that nutrition among younger children remains the area needing the most continued investment.

The progress made in improving health outcomes, particularly in reducing infant mortality, is significant. This reflects the RPCs’ continued commitment to community development, which extends to supporting education through scholarship programmes. These initiatives, together with established healthcare and educational support systems, contribute to improving opportunities and outcomes for children and families across plantation communities.