The ‘Sarvajana Trust’, founded to advance the vision of building an entrepreneurial state and a happy nation, was officially inaugurated in Colombo recently.
The event was chaired by Sarvajana Balaya Leader and Principal Trustee MP Dilith Jayaweera, with the participation of several foreign diplomats, including the Indian High Commissioner, the Chinese Deputy Ambassador, and the High Commissioners of Indonesia and the Maldives, as well as representatives from Russia, Canada, Japan, Thailand, and Nepal. A large number of industrialists, business leaders, policymakers, and public representatives also attended.
The Trust’s mission is to promote entrepreneurship—particularly among youth and women—by providing financial support for small business start-ups, transforming mindsets, and encouraging collective participation in building an entrepreneurial state. It also focuses on improving health, nutrition, and education standards among underprivileged communities.
Speaking at the event, Trustee Ranjan Senevirathna emphasized that Sri Lanka’s biggest challenge was not a lack of talent, but the absence of opportunity, funding, knowledge, and market access. He said the Trust was created to bridge this gap and assured that all its funds would be professionally audited and used transparently for its intended purposes.
Trustee Dilum Amunugama noted that the government has now joined the conversation on entrepreneurship — a topic rarely discussed in the past. He added that village-level infrastructure and councils were being developed alongside the Sarvajana Sabha, marking a key milestone in empowering citizens.
Addressing the gathering, MP Dilith Jayaweera highlighted that the Trust’s purpose extends beyond economics, aiming to foster positive thinking and empower Sri Lankan youth and women. “We want to inspire the youth and transform Sri Lankan women into generators of wealth,” he said, noting that the initiative was built on years of grassroots advocacy across the country.
He further stated that the establishment of the Sarvajana Trust provides the legal and structural foundation to sustain these efforts and expressed hope that it would help Sri Lankans build capital, creativity, confidence, and strength for the nation’s progress.
