Brandix - Engaging with Communities for a Better Tomorrow

Brandix – Engaging with Communities for a Better Tomorrow

Brandix’s corporate DNA is based on the premise that inspired people reinforced with the right set of values and a sense of purpose are fueled to deliver inspired solutions.

As the leading Apparel exporter in Sri Lanka, nearly 90% of the entire Brandix workforce is represented by females. This has led to the company identifying that a well-rounded individual is a value addition not only to the organization, but also to their personal lives. Brandix therefore strives to engage its employees to participate in company initiatives that promote personal development, helps them strike a healthy work-life balance, and encourages their drive to succeed in their respective field of work.

Enabling continuous education to pursue individual aspirations has been a key component of Brandix’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy and is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 of Quality Education. Within this focus, Brandix’s journey to inspire the next generation through education began in 2010 with the launch of ‘Ran Daru Scholarships,' offering financial assistance to Grade 5, O/L, and A/L students of Brandix Associates, and ‘Ran Daru Thilina’ in 2016 to provide school bags, stationery, and other school essentials to children from nursery age to Grade 5.

Additionally, Learning and Development play an integral role in the personal and professional development plan for Brandix Associates and includes P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement), a Gap Inc. program for female Associates launched at Brandix in 2012, and ‘Brandix Shilpa’, an initiative that took life in 2018 to optimize existing career pathways and vocational training for Associates who lack formal education qualifications. Brandix’s work in CSR stems from its mission to engage in its business with a sense of purpose. As a result, the company chose to identify and provide inspired solutions for significant societal needs prevalent in its operating locations and become an agent of change for its communities. In 2006, Brandix developed the ‘Care for Our Own’ initiative to respond to the urgent need for clean drinking water supply systems among its Associates and their communities, and to contribute to the national goal of providing safe drinking water and sanitation for the entire populace by 2025. The focus on water was also prompted by the pivotal role it plays in the apparel manufacturing process.

The Brandix CSR team has been working to alleviate the stress of water poverty for women across Sri Lanka. The company’s CSR efforts were initiated following a comprehensive survey of its workforce, where it was highlighted that lack of access to clean water was the most pressing concern for its female Associates. This resulted in Brandix focusing its initiatives on water and women’s work as the core offering towards the communities of Sri Lanka under the four main pillars of ‘Provide’, ‘Educate’, ‘Research’, and ‘Engage’. Additionally, Brandix also conducts programs that cover livelihood development, construction of housing, and health screenings.

Brandix sincerely believes that to inspire change, the company must effectively educate and engage its stakeholders, thereby making them ambassadors of change. This ensures a ripple effect of inspired acts from person to person, resulting in sustainable solutions that will impact more beneficiaries in the future. The company will continue its journey of supporting communities by providing employment, aiding sustainable community development initiatives, and making a conscious effort to enhance the quality of life for those across its communities.

Shiraz Omar, Brandix Lanka Limited