Walking the talk, Mother Sri Lanka (MSL), the independent, not-for-profit charity opened its flagship store to create a space to sell aesthetically pleasing, home-grown products made by beneficiaries of the movement’s ‘Empowering Entrepreneurs’ program. Located at the promenade down Parliament Drive at 614 Sri Jayawardenepura Road, Ethul Kotte, Kotte, the store offers a wide range of authentic Sri Lankan products from organic foods and beverages, rush and reed accessories, handloom clothing, mugs, stoneware, terracotta products, seashell and coconut shell crafts, ceramic ware to stationary and other art and craft products.
The MSL ‘Empowering Entrepreneurs’ program sells products using the apt tagline ‘100 Smiles for your 100 rupees’ under the sub brand ‘Love Sri Lanka’. The project which has been in operation since 2016, is already assisting over 100 Small and Medium Entrepreneurs in the Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa and Nuwara Eliya districts to access the Colombo upmarket. The unique concept of this project is that the products are 100% made in Sri Lanka, promotes Sri Lankan authenticity with designs to depict Sri Lankan art and culture, motifs, national symbols and protects diminishing Sri Lankan craft industries.
Mother Sri Lanka Founder/ Chairperson Dr Janaki Kuruppu said, “Building a better Sri Lanka is a collective responsibility we share. With the opening of our flagship store, we wish to invite Sri Lankans to make a strong social statement instead of a fashion statement. Buy truly Sri Lankan products, made from local material from our own backyard. You’ll be helping fellow Sri Lankans to aspire for a better standard of living, attain financial stability and be engaged in an occupation that brings pride and dignity. The project is a non-profit venture managed by a volunteer team of professionals and all the money is pumped back into this project since there are no shareholders of Mother Sri Lanka. Our aim is to lift one family at a time. We invite you to be a part of this endeavour”.
In addition to the new showroom, the products are also available at the MSL Colombo 7 showroom at 410/131, Bauddhaloka Mawatha. They are also available for online purchase with islandwide delivery from the Mother Sri Lanka website - www.mothersrilanka.lk as well as some selected e-commerce platforms including Kapruka.lk and Daraz.lk and in over 25 selected outlets.
Established over 11 years ago, MSL manages numerous successful programs for pre-school children, schoolchildren and youth. The largest and most impactful MSL project heretofore has been the MSL Project RUN, which reaches out to about 2,600 schools in all 25 districts in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, and in 600 pre-schools islandwide. MSL also engages in Reconciliation Projects through Inter-Faith Music Festivals and Friendship Bridge camps among other engagement and outreach programs