SLMLBCconducts CSR initiative in Maldives

SLMLBC President Sudesh Mendis, Mihira Wickramarachchi of Wickramarachchi Optician and Hearing Care, Parliament Member Ashraf Rasheed and Island Council Member Hassan Shiyam 

The Sri Lanka-Maldives Business Council (SLMLBC) of The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce recently completed a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative on Faresmaathoda Island, a remote fishing community 465 kilometres from Malé.

In response to a request from the island’s council for medical support, the SLMLBC partnered with M.  Wickramarachchi, an optician and hearing care specialist, to provide essential eye and hearing care. 

The team donated 600 pairs of spectacles, 100 pairs of sunglasses and five hearing aids. A touching moment was the personal handing over of a hearing aid by Wickramarachchi to the grandfather of the island’s parliamentary minister. 

Additionally, medical testing equipment was donated to the island’s healthcare centre, with training provided to the local staff. Wickramarachchi also offered free education opportunities in Colombo for two island residents.

SLMBC President Sudesh Mendis noted that the project had far exceeded the expectations in fostering closer ties between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. 

He also remarked on the historical connections between the two nations, highlighted by the surprising number of elderly islanders who spoke fluent Sinhala—an enduring testament to their long-standing trade and cultural exchanges.