‘Sarvajana Trust’ inaugurated to promote entrepreneurship and national well-being

The ‘Sarvajana Trust’, established to further the vision of setting up an entrepreneurial state and a happy nation, was inaugurated recently in Colombo. 

The event was chaired by the Leader of Sarvajana Balaya, MP Dilith Jayaweera, who also serves as the Principal Trustee of the ‘Sarvajana Trust’.

Foreign diplomats, including the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, the Chinese Deputy Ambassador, the High Commissioners of Indonesia and the Maldives, the Ambassador of Russia, and diplomatic representatives from Canada, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, and several other nations were among the distinguished guests at the event. 

A large number of industrialists, business leaders, policymakers, and public representatives were also present.

The ‘Sarvajana Trust’ aims to support and implement entrepreneurship development, especially for youth and women demonstrating entrepreneurial potential. 

Its core objectives include providing financial assistance for small business start-ups, transforming mindsets, encouraging collective participation in building a strong entrepreneurial state, and improving health, nutrition, and education standards among underprivileged communities. 

Functioning as a non-profit public trust, it is dedicated to advancing national development through entrepreneurship.

Trustee Ranjan Senevirathna said that for a country to truly succeed, it must promote and actively engage in entrepreneurship. He noted that Sri Lanka’s main challenge was not a lack of talent but a shortage of opportunity, funding, knowledge, and market access. 

He added that the Sarvajana Trust was established to bridge this gap and would be managed with the highest level of transparency, with all funds audited by professionals and used solely for the Trust’s purposes. 

Another trustee, Dilum Amunugama, noted, “Today, the Government too has joined the conversation on entrepreneurship. In the past, there was no real discussion on this subject — the focus was mainly on borrowing. Dilith Jayaweera has successfully drawn the Government’s attention to the importance of entrepreneurship.”

He noted that basic infrastructure such as village councils were being established alongside the Sarvajana Sabha. He added that the Sarvajana Trust had been vested with the people, marking a key milestone in their collective journey. 

Addressing the gathering, MP Dilith Jayaweera highlighted the Trust’s broader social mission, saying, “One of our main intentions is to foster positive thinking in Sri Lanka to inspire and energize the youth while uplifting and empowering Sri Lankan women. We intend to adorn Sri Lankan women as generators of wealth. We have traveled from village to village advocating and encouraging this vision.”

Jayaweera further explained that the establishment of the Trust provided the legal and structural foundation needed to make this effort a success and expressed hope that it would help citizens build capital, creativity, knowledge, confidence, and strength.