First Capital Holdings PLC has partnered with ‘Bunty Loves Chocolates’, a new children’s book that introduces young readers to saving, budgeting and the difference between wants and needs, in a bid to help Sri Lankan families build healthy money habits from an early age, the company said in a statement.
More than four in ten Sri Lankan adults are still not financially literate, as per the Central Bank data, with the Central Bank’s latest survey, carried out in 2021, putting the country’s financial literacy rate at just 57.9 percent. That was up from 35 percent in a 2014 global survey by S&P Global Ratings, although the two studies followed different methodologies. The Central Bank survey also covered only adults, offering no measure of money skills among children, the very readers the book is written for.
The book is written by Dinesha Samaranayake, a banking professional with over a decade of experience across the World Bank Group, Standard Chartered and HSBC and draws on both her financial expertise and her experience as a mother of two. Its stories are built around saving for emergencies, budgeting and working towards financial goals and it includes interactive activities that children can complete with their parents.
Samaranayake lives in Singapore and serves on the management team of Aidha, a Singaporean charity that promotes financial literacy and communication skills among migrant domestic workers and lower-income women.
At the launch, held at the Colombo Swimming Club, Samaranayake observed that conversations around money are often overlooked in busy family life. She also introduced @JoinCurie, a platform she founded to nurture curiosity and a love of reading.
First Capital, a JXG (Janashakthi Group) company, was the event’s Financial Literacy Partner. The company noted that its support formed part of a commitment to democratising financial knowledge and encouraging responsible investing and that, in its view, financial literacy goes beyond saving and is about building a healthy relationship with money from an early age.
The launch featured a panel discussion titled ‘Raising a Money-Smart Generation’, moderated by Good Life X COO Christina Gunasinghe. First Capital Holdings PLC Vice President Deshani Ratnayake urged parents not to pass their own fears about money and investing on to their children, encouraging them instead to let their children explore and learn through practical experiences, including small business ventures.
Global Unites Founder Prashan De Visser highlighted the financial pressures facing young people and the need for early financial education. He drew on his own experience of investing in his children’s Happy Waffles business to show how entrepreneurship can teach children about profit, money management and delayed gratification.
AMW Capital Leasing and Finance PLC Chairman Indrajith Boyagoda encouraged parents to use pocket money, saving incentives and everyday conversations to help children practice financial responsibility, stressing the importance of leading by example at home. Meanwhile, the partnership adds to a string of financial literacy efforts by First Capital and the wider Janashakthi Group.
The company’s Invest-ED programme reached more than 1,000 university students in 2025 through seminars at SLIIT and the Universities of Kelaniya, Jaffna and Colombo, while the group ran a ‘Future Funders’ workshop for children aged eight to 12 on the World Children’s Day last year.
According to the statement, a series of upcoming events will continue to introduce ‘Bunty Loves Chocolates’ to young readers and families.
