A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS) and the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, with the facilitation of the Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning (SIHL), on Wednesday, 24 September 2025 at the IIHS Multiversity.

The ceremony was graced by Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of Sarvodaya, and Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, CEO and Co-founder of IIHS.

The Lankan Nurses Program, an initiative of IIHS Multiversity, is designed to empower rural Sri Lankan youth by providing globally recognized nursing qualifications. With an ambitious target to train 5,000 rural youth over five years, the program directly addresses two critical national needs:

• reducing youth unemployment, and
• strengthening the healthcare workforce in Sri Lanka.

Through this partnership mode, the program offers affordable, high-quality training opportunities to young people from underserved communities.

As a key partner, SIHL will leverage its extensive national network to ensure inclusive access and meaningful impact. SIHL’s role includes:

• Mobilizing youth from rural and underserved communities through its grassroots presence,
• Providing training facilities in selected Sarvodaya centers, and
• Facilitating access to affordable study loan schemes to support equal opportunities.

The collaboration will initially expand educational programs under quality learning environments at Sarvodaya centers in Anuradhapura, Matara, and Batticaloa, paving the way for further national scale-up.

This partnership reflects SIHL’s mission to create transformative pathways for rural youth, combining education, economic empowerment, and community development. By aligning healthcare training with local and global opportunities, the initiative not only strengthens Sri Lanka’s health system but also creates life-changing opportunities for young people to serve locally and thrive globally.