Soap & water
In 2004, Unilever Sri Lanka decided to develop a project through our Sunlight brand that would help the rural communities that bear the brunt of these variable weather conditions.
"Sunlight initiated the project with the aim of providing basic water facilities to two remote rural villages. We selected Welikanda and Medirigiriya where scarcity of water has become a dilemma to residents", explains Sunlight Brand Manager, Kosala Hewamadduma. Sunlight is the leading brand of laundry soap across Sri Lanka. People use it for washing plates as well as clothes, so its use depends on access to clean water.
Wells bring water & time
The project led to the speedy construction of 14 wells. With diameters of 15 metres, the wells are eight times larger than normal for the region. A unique feature of this project is that the wells were dug by the villagers themselves, with Sunlight providing all the material, machinery and motivational support. From the start, therefore, the project showed the essential ingredients of working in partnership.
As a result, 75 families in the two villages now have ready access to drinking water. What's more they are saved the five kilometre walk to the nearest lake.
"We are happy that Unilever is giving more to the community than just their products. I see this as an excellent project. People who used to spend three to four hours to get water now have ready access to water", said a spokeswoman for the Divisional Secretariat of Medirigiriya.
As Kosala sums up, "Sunlight awoke co-operative working among the village folk. This is something of which we are immensely proud of."
