Dr. Janaki Kuruppu – founder & chairperson, MSL & the MSL Flagship Showroom
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 popular promenade down the Parliament drive at 614 Sri Jayawardenepura Road, Ethul Kotte, Kotte, the store offers a wide range of authentic Sri Lankan products from organic foods & beverages, rush and reed accessories, handloom clothing, mugs, stoneware, terracotta products, seashell and coconut shell crafts, ceramic ware to stationary and other art & 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 & Medium Entrepreneurs residing in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa & Nuwara Eliya districts to access the Colombo upmarket. The unique concept behind 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.
Speaking on this new venture Mother Sri Lanka founder/ chairperson Dr Janaki Kuruppu commented, “Building a better Sri Lanka is a collection responsibility that we all 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 them pride and dignity. The entire 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 up at a time. We invite you to be a part of this endeavor”.
In addition to the new showroom, the products are also available at the MSL Colombo 7 showroom at 410/131, Bauddhaloka Mawatha. MSL product range is also available for online purchase with islandwide delivery from the Mother Sri Lanka website – http://www.mothersrilanka.lk as well as some selected e-commerce platforms including Kapruka.lk and Daraz.lk and in over 25 selected outlets of Arpico, Laksala, No Limit, Cool Planet, Uptown & Beverly Street.
Source:http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=214782
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