LOLC Micro Credit Ltd (LOMC), the microfinance company of the LOLC Group, successfully concluded the “Isuru Diriya Sisu Upahara Scholarship Awards 2012” last Friday, with Mr. Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka gracing the ceremony as Chief Guest.

Mr. H. M. Ekanayake, Director – Department of Supervision of Non-Bank Financial Institutions of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka also attended as a special invitee, together with LOLC Group Directors – Mrs. Rohini Nanayakkara, Chairperson, Mr. Kapila Jayawardena, Group Managing Director/CEO – and Mr. Ravi Tissera, Director/Chief Executive Officer of LOMC.

This year’s event was held for the third consecutive year, where a total of 340 academically gifted students, from diverse locations around the country, were recognized for their exceptional achievements at the Grade 5 scholarship examination held earlier this year. Out of this, 244 top performing students were felicitated at a colourful awards ceremony held at the Bishop’s College Auditorium, Colombo, where they received scholarships and educational equipment.

Hirushima Nethmi Pathiraja from Nikaweratiya, Rashmika Pasindu Malshan from Mathugama, Vishmi Adithya from Elpitiya were the top three students who received best results, each scoring over 183 marks at the scholarship exam.

Students who are felicitated at the Isuru Diriya Scholarship Award program are children of LOMC’s group loan client segment, who lack formal access to financial services. In previous years too, LOMC has come forward to assist the educational needs of children of the communities they serve, by way of providing them scholarship exam preparatory seminars. This program has a three pronged approach, wherein LOMC provides scholarships, gifts and skills development by way of educational programs and seminars, all aimed at developing the primary educational needs of children from grass root communities.

Speaking about the program, Mr. Kapila Jayawardena, GMD/CEO of the LOLC Group said, “The opportunity to help our future leaders of tomorrow, to empower them with knowledge and skills to further their educational aspirations, is more than a philanthropic act for us. These are the children of our clients. We are with them every step of the way, in their struggle to fulfill financial empowerment and better living standards. Our duty, apart from being their financial catalyst is to ensure that their children, too, are given the opportunity to own a future with immense possibilities.

Also commenting, Mr. Ravi Tissera, Director/CEO of LOMC said, “Our scholarship program has been a remarkable success throughout the years. We are humbled by the response we have received from parents, children as well as educators. Over the years, we have made positive changes in people’s lives and we have made a difference in their children’s future as well.”

In the three years since Isuru Diriya Sisu Upahara Scholarship Awards scheme began, nearly 10,000 children of group loan clients received exam preparatory seminars with the help of renowned educators, and over 1,000 of those who passed the exam with exceptional results, were felicitated and rewarded by LOMC.