Our Corporate Social Responsibility Program

Mediquipment’s CSR initiative began in 1991 by way of assistance to the Wildlife Heritage Trust (WHT), a private not-for-profit foundation established by Rohan Pethiyagoda and Asanka Goonewardena. WHT’s objectives are to publish literature to increase awareness of nature and biodiversity in Sri Lanka; provide grants to young persons engaged in biodiversity research and nature-conservation initiatives; and fund projects to explore and document Sri Lanka’s biodiversity.

Though managed, funded and operated by the company, WHT’s identity is distinct from Mediquipment’s: the Trust operates as an autonomous entity. WHT has a significant international profile (14,000-plus Google hits), in keeping with its achievement to date, which includes the publication of more than 35 nature-related books in both English and the local language, Sinhala; and the discovery and scientific description of more than 100 new species of fish, amphibians, lizards, crabs and mammals in Sri Lanka.

In 2000, Rohan Pethiyagoda received a Rolex Award for Enterprise for his work with WHT, just one of many prizes, awards and grants the Trust has received since its inception.In addition to its work with WHT, Mediquipment also supports four children orphaned by the 2004 Asian Tsunami and contributes generously to numerous Sri Lankan charities.

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A selection of the 37 titles in both English and Sinhala published by WHT between 1991 and 2007. More than 10,000 copies have been distributed to school libraries throughout Sri Lanka

A selection of the approximately 100 new species of endemic animals discovered and scientifically described through WHT-sponsored biodiversity exploration in Sri Lanka in the period 1991-2005