The Ceyline Group, a leading marine organization in Sri Lanka, is commemorating its 40th anniversary by introducing ‘Roots for the Future,’ an innovative national reforestation program aimed at planting and nurturing 40,000 indigenous trees throughout the country.
This initiative primarily seeks to engage the youth of Sri Lanka as proactive contributors to environmental restoration, fostering a culture of ongoing ecological responsibility within school communities across the nation. The program was launched in collaboration with Vidyarathna College and Ashoka College in Horana. Ceyline Group is moving away from traditional “plant-and-forget” corporate events by implementing a digital verification system supported by their proprietary OXY App platform, effectively merging youth empowerment with verified ecological restoration efforts. This initiative establishes a transparent tri-party framework involving Ceyline Group, the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Forest Conservation, ensuring a sustainable green legacy for future generations in Sri Lanka.
As the primary sponsor and owner of the digital ecosystem, Ceyline Group is fully financing the initial phase of the project, which includes the deployment of 4,000 saplings, soil nutrients, and operational support to achieve the goal of planting 40,000 trees. The Group will manage and host the OXY App, serving as a corporate catalyst to unite national government institutions under a unified Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework. The Department of Forest Conservation will provide technical oversight and scientific validation of endemic and native plant species, ensuring the selections are suitable for specific regional agro-ecological zones. They will also assign local Forest Extension Officers to oversee technical aspects, validate regional plant species, and offer scientific guidance.
The project is structured into four distinct operational phases, transitioning the celebration of Ceyline’s 40th anniversary into a lasting national initiative. Phase 1 involved establishing the collaborative framework among the three parties and finalizing species selection maps. Phase 2 focused on engineering the OXY App platform, procuring the initial 4,000 endemic saplings, and onboarding school leaders. Currently, Phase 3 is in progress, with the digital platform actively tracking the initial planting efforts within participating school networks, equipped with real-time auditing capabilities, setting the stage for scaling up to the 40,000-tree goal. The final Phase 4 will open the platform to additional corporate co-sponsors to support student incentives and expand the targets beyond the original vision.
Natasha Egodage, the Executive Deputy Chairperson and Chief Purpose Officer of Ceyline Group, remarked, “Celebrating Ceyline’s 40th anniversary with the ‘Roots for the Future’ initiative enables us to fulfill our mission: to inspire leadership in everyone we engage, fostering a sustainable and just future for all. We aspire for this environmental stewardship project to empower and motivate the next generation of leaders.”
For four decades, Ceyline Group has partnered with the world’s largest international shipping lines, enhancing service quality and capabilities within the Sri Lankan and global marine sectors. Additionally, the company has expanded into the education sector through the Colombo International Nautical & Engineering College (CINEC) and the leisure and travel sector via Ceyline Travels and Ruwala Resort.
Image Caption: The Ceyline Group team at the ‘Roots for the Future’ initiative.
