Supporting education and employability

The Bank donates laptops to visually-impaired undergraduates (CSR)

The Bank donated 21 laptop computers to visually-handicapped university students in response to a request by the ‘Centre for Sight’ of the Kandy Teaching Hospital’s Department of Ophthalmology, the institution that handles ophthalmic disorders and helps visually handicapped students to gain admissions to universities in Sri Lanka.

The latest presentation takes the number of undergraduates in this category that have received laptops from the Bank to 62.The Bank previously donated laptops to two groups of vision-impaired students attending universities around the country in 2014 and 2015.

Bank-supported STEMup project helps set up Software Coding Clubs in 50 schools

Software Coding Clubs were set up in 50 schools under a STEMup Educational Foundation project supported by the Bank. The project aims to set up 100 such clubs to advance computer programming knowledge among school children and inspire students to pursue Scientific, Technological, Engineering, and Mathematical (STEM) degrees and careers.

The Bank commences a project to donate smart STEM classes in 100 schools as centenary year project

Smart classrooms that focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) was established in 100 schools across Sri Lanka, with the backing of the Bank to commemorate the centenary of the country’s benchmark private bank.

Drawing synergies from several ongoing education-centered initiatives supported by the Bank, this project aims to transform orthodox educational institutions to STEM centres, using digital learning content developed for the "Sipnena" online education website also funded by the Bank, thereby giving the project its name: the "100 Sipnena Smart STEM Schools" initiative.

Welioya School receives IT Lab via Bank and Sri Lanka Army initiative

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has funded the construction of an IT lab at the Paranagamawewa Vidyalaya, Welioya in collaboration with the Security Forces Headquarters, Wanni. The contribution of the Bank includes financial support for the purchase of building materials to construct a building for the lab, and donations of furniture, solar panels to power the school, and computers. The engineering services and labour required for this operation were provided free of charge by the Sri Lanka Army.

The Bank donates 200th IT Lab to Janadhipathi Vidyalaya, Matara

The Bank’s nationally-scaled community initiative to elevate computer literacy levels in Sri Lanka reached an important milestone with the opening of the 200th IT lab donated by the Bank, a landmark achievement in the year that the Bank celebrated its 100th anniversary.

The recipient of the fully-equipped and furnished IT Lab was the Janadhipathi Vidyalaya, Matara, which also received a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) classroom from the Bank.

Promoting environmental conservation

The Bank plants trees in Kandy City

The Bank engaged in a tree planting project in the hill country capital as part of its centenary celebrations.

The Bank supports marine turtle conservation programme in Panama

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has pledged support to a marine turtle conservation project in Panama, a village on the east coast of Sri Lanka, to enable the expansion of the scope of the project from the Kumana village to Panakala Lagoon.

The immediate objective of the programme is to protect the nests and eggs of four endangered species of sea turtles from predators such as pigs, foxes, mongoose, spotted iguana and dogs.

Healthcare

The Bank supports the battle against COVID-19

The CSR Trust of the bank made a series of donations of essential equipment to hospitals to support doctors and healthcare personnel battling to treat victims and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Bank donated Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, N95 protective masks, surgical masks, surgical suits and hand sanitiser in bulk as well as in dispenser form to the hospitals based on identified needs. The Bank also made a cash donation to the COVID-19 fund established by the government.

The Bank donates life-saving equipment to Children’s Heart Centre of LRH

The Bank donated an Activated Clotting Time (ACT) machine and 20 syringe pumps to the Children’s Heart Centre of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Colombo to be used in three Cardiac Theatres and two Intensive Care Units.

Other

The Bank joins Sri Lanka Army “Thuru Mithuru” project to drive Sri Lanka towards self sufficiency in food

The Bank announced a partnership with the Sri Lanka Army to financially support the second phase of the “Thuru Mithuru Nawa Ratak” initiative designed to transform Sri Lanka into a country self-sufficient in essential food.

The Bank provides water and sanitation facilities to Sri Nagarukkarama Temple

The Bank provided the 135-year old Sri Nagarukkarama Temple in Kotikawatte, Angoda with water and sanitation facilities. Following a request from the custodian of the temple, the Bank constructed a 50-foot water tank storage tower with the capacity to hold 20,000 litres of water and accommodate four washrooms.