Maliban Gold Marie in partnership with the Department of Labour commemorated the International Day Against Child Labour 2023 at Neluwa, Mandalapura Junior College recently.
Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, Labour Commissioner B. K. Prabhat Chandrakirthi and senior officials were present.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Maliban Group, Ravi Jayawardena, along with parents and children, gathered to reaffirm their commitment to creating a world where children can thrive in happiness and freedom.
Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Pvt) Limited has launched a mission to eliminate child labour in Sri Lanka by 2025 through its Gold Marie brand.
The ‘Nidahase Ran Daruwo’ fund was set up on World Children’s Day in 2021 in support of this mission.
The fund has implemented measures to strengthen the economic capabilities of families at risk of having their children leave education prematurely and enter the workforce.
This program has provided a fresh start to nearly 50 families across all districts. In a recent report by the International Labour Organization stated that the number of child labourers experienced its first increase in the past two decades in 2023.
Minister Nanayakkara, the chief guest, said, “I am first of all grateful to Maliban for organising this program on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labour. In Sri Lanka and globally, during a time when many families face a dire economic situation, there is an increased probability of children engaging in different types of work. I believe it is the obligation and role of every adult to drive the future of the nation with strength.”
Maliban Biscuit Manufactories has been actively implementing these practices in Sri Lanka for the past three years, aligning with the International Labour Organization’s call to empower parents economically to eliminate child labour.
CEO Ravi Jayawardena said, “It is the acceptance of all of us that the future of a country rests on the children of that country. That’s why to create a good future for the country, we need to create a good generation of children. We should work to give them the opportunity to spend their childhood happily and freely. Maliban Gold Marie is fulfilling that responsibility through the ‘Nidahase Ran Daruwo’ Fund.” Maliban Gold Marie will allocate 50 cents for every 80 gram packet of Gold Marie Biscuits that is sold to the ‘Nidahase Ran Daruwo’ Fund.