Atlas Axillia Co. (Private) Limited, Sri Lanka’s largest and most respected manufacturer and marketer of stationery and school supply products, plays an integral role in the learning journeys of over 4 million kids in Sri Lanka. As a result of this deeply intertwined relationship with the children of Sri Lanka, Atlas has entered into a partnership with the Ministry of Education to promote health and safety as they go back to school in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Company has launched various initiatives, in partnership with the Ministry, to educate kids about hygiene & safety practices to protect against COVID-19 and to instil good health practices amongst kids to maintain a safe learning environment in the post-COVID-19 future.
These initiatives include Atlas-sponsored television commercials by the Ministry of Education with regard to health safety in educational environments, a COVID-19 safety booklet which is to be distributed to students and an engaging game called Atlas Suru Viru, an online game and app that interactively teaches kids the right habits for health and safety and how to make good hygiene a part of their lifestyle. Together, these initiatives will draw attention to the need for the right measures to effectively prevent COVID-19 and help create a safer environment for all students.
Discussing the initiatives, N. H. M. Chithrananda – Secretary to the Ministry of Education said, “A sound education is critical to the lives of children, both for the present and the future. Therefore, getting them back to school is our top priority. However, as we all know, we are now living in a ‘new normal’ environment with COVID-19 and we need to help students quickly adapt. It’s very easy for diseases to spread at schools if the right preventive measures are not taken, including proper awareness about safety protocols. We have launched several safety initiatives in order to make sure that the school system is well-equipped and compliant with such measures and we are grateful that Atlas, Sri Lanka’s most reputed stationary company, has come onboard to support our efforts. We are confident that, with the right awareness and habits, we can minimize risks and our children can resume their educations safely.”
Speaking about the partnership with the Ministry of Education, Asitha Samaraweera – Managing Director at Atlas Axillia Co. said, “For over 60 years, we have striven to provide all Sri Lankans with world-class products for learning and work. As a result, nearly every student in Sri Lanka has, at some point, used an Atlas product. Therefore, in an atmosphere of a global pandemic and national health crisis, it’s nothing but our duty to our future leaders and the nation to help create an environment that is safe and conducive to learning. By following the guidelines and precautions laid down by the health authorities and the Ministry of Education, we can create a low risk environment that inspires and keeps learning fun, while allowing students to safely continue with their education. At Atlas, we are honoured to be a part of such an important initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Education. Throughout this crisis, we have supported our communities and we will continue to do so in the future.”
Atlas has been involved in numerous other initiatives to support the nation during this health crisis including designing and deploying AGV robots as Remote Medical Assistants, converting an entire production line to produce facemasks to support the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, ensuring production and distribution of hand sanitizers to its own staff internally and externally, making available essential paper tissue hygiene products for public access and spearheading an initiative to build an innovative, economical and easily produced and deployed medical ventilator for COVID-19 patients.
Atlas Axillia Co. (Private) Limited, formerly known as Ceylon Pencil Company (Private) Limited, was founded in 1959 and has since grown to become Sri Lanka’s market leader in school stationery manufacturing. Fuelled by a passion for providing school children with essential tools for success, “Atlas” has created a strong connection with Sri Lankan consumers, being voted the No. 1 School Supply Brand of the year 2020 at the People’s Choice Awards and having recently won many national and international awards for excellence, including the National Quality Award 2018 and the Global Performance Excellence Award 2019.
Atlas has partnered with the Ministry of Education to get kids back to school safely by sponsoring an island-wide health safety awareness campaign as Sri Lanka’s schools reopen amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Asitha Samaraweera – Managing Director at Atlas Axillia Co. ceremonially handed over a copy of the safety booklet, which is a core part of the campaign, to N. H. M. Chithrananda – Secretary to the Ministry of Education, officially marking the partnership. Pictured from left to right Nadeeka Jayasinghe, Senior Manager – Corporate Relationship Management, Renuka Peiris, Director of Education, Dias Dharmasena, Additional Secretary of School Affairs.