Seylan Bank Continues to Build Literacy and Equalise Learning for Young Minds with the 280th ‘Seylan Pahasara’ Library

Seylan Bank continues to empower young minds by building a solid bedrock of literacy and learning with the opening of their most recent Pahasara library on the 09th of April 2025. The Presbyterian Girls' School Colombo’s new library represents the 280th chapter to open to date. 

Representing the most recent expansion of the Bank’s goal of building 300 Seylan Pahasara libraries by 2026, the Presbyterian Girls' School Colombo’s new library reaffirms the Bank’s efforts to foster learning and education from the grassroots. Catering to 672 students, the newest Pahasara library puts a wide range of 150 new volumes within their reach. Additionally, the school is the recipient of 2 new laptops, a multimedia projector, and a complementary screen. 

Celebrating the joys of reading and learning, the opening of the 280th Seylan Pahasara library was attended by Ramesh Jayasekara, Director/Chief Executive Officer of Seylan Bank PLC, representatives from the Ministry of Education,  Principal of Presbyterian Girls' School D T A T K Dissanayake; Vice Principal, B K T Rathnakanthi; Head Prefect, Fathima Rukayya; teachers, members of the student body, and parents. The event marks the latest development in a steady collaboration with the school to since 2024 where the Bank with a Heart implemented several promotional campaigns including Tikiri Pola and the Tikiri Campaign for enrolling grade 01 students. 

Seylan Pahasara initiative has been steadily unfolding for nearly 10 years in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Identifying schools most in need of assistance, the initiative works to create conducive learning environments to effectively boost literacy levels across the country. Having identified the Presbyterian Girls' School, Colombo as one such school, the Bank aimed to amplify the school’s ability to offer the quality education its student body deserves. 

Commenting on the latest milestone in Seylan Bank’s flagship sustainability project, Ramesh Jayasekara, the Director/Chief Executive Officer of Seylan Bank PLC, said, “As we move closer to realising our vision of gifting 300 schools with fully functional libraries, we’re proud to celebrate the opening of each new chapter as singular achievements. Each library puts new learning opportunities within the reach of children. Together, our hope is that each chapter will foster a love for reading and learning that will guide the shape of the nation towards an inclusive and ambitious future. We believe that through Seylan Pahasara, fostering literacy at a grassroots level will sow the seeds to nourish a richer Sri Lanka.”

Seylan Bank recognises physical libraries as significant spaces for young learners in the process of developing an understanding of the world. Through the Seylan Pahasara initiative, the Bank with a Heart addresses 11 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by forging a path for children to develop a range of literacy skills. Having commenced on the 1st of March 2013 at Swarnapali Balika Maha Viduhala, the Seylan Pahasara journey represents a commitment to transforming education and literacy. 

About Seylan Bank

Seylan Bank, the Bank with a Heart, operates with a vision to offer the ultimate banking experience to its valued customers through cutting-edge technology, innovative products, and best-in-class services. The Bank has a growing clientele of SMEs, Retail and Corporate Customers. Seylan Bank has been endorsed as a financially stable organisation with performance excellence across the board by Fitch Ratings, with the bank’s national long-term rating revised to ‘A+’(lka). These are a testament to Seylan Bank’s financial stability and its unwavering dedication to ensuring the consistent delivery of Service Excellence across all aspects.