Inducted over 30 years ago, in the year 1986, Deshamanya is an honorary award given to those who serve the nation. It directly translates to “Pride of the Nation”, and is a civil honour that holds extreme prestige to whoever is bestowed with the title. It is usually awarded to commemorate the meritorious work of those who contribute to the progression and development of Sri Lanka, due to which it is recognised as the second highest national honour.

 

Ms. Vindya Perera, founder and managing directress of Lustre, received this award as an appreciation and acknowledgement of the many initiatives she has spearheaded in order to uplift the society and improve the socioeconomic conditions of Sri Lanka. As a Corporate Social Responsibility, she has built houses and worked towards elevating the livelihoods of many people.

 

In addition to these acts of service, a noble initiative that has been introduced for the youth of Sri Lanka to benefit from is Ms. Vindya’s ideologies to empower those who have the talent for this craft instilled within them. She has opened windows of opportunities for those seeking a way into exploring lapidary art and has nurtured this young skill to progress into what is recognised as contemporary style. This has given jobs to many young enthusiasts in the field and has steered in fresh concepts, bringing forth much needed change into an industry focused on traditional, age-old norms. This practice has both preserved culture, and elevated it with a modern flair.

 

This service, backed with unfaltering spirit to do better is what has brought Lustre to its success today, and will continue to make strides in the field with new ideas, experiments and the space to learn and grow.