Private sector development

Towards the effective reduction of poverty

For more info

Visit the WUSC website

Printable version

Download the PDF

Nos actions

For Private Sector Development in Sri Lanka

The status of small and medium-sized businesses in Sri Lanka, already compromised by political uncertainty, has deteriorated further still since the tsunami of December 2004. Uniterra's partners have settled on three priorities: 1) build the capacities of Partner Organisations 2) support micro-finance & entrepreneurship; and 3) livelihood development
A FEW STATISTICS ABOUT SRI LANKA Area: 66,000 km2 Population: 19.2 million Gross National Income (GNI) per capita: $930 US (CIDA, 2003) Life expectancy at birth is 73 years The principal agricultural export products are tea, cinnamon and tobacco (FAO)	ON THE GROUND We contribute to increasing the services offered by micro-finance institutions, business develoment organisations, particularly to bankrupt entrepreneurs, and also to the establishment of business development centres. We also support activities aimed at increasing the number of new businesses, particularly in food-processing in fishing communities. Finally, in order to improve the quality and the number of services offered by the private sector, we assist ideveloping the capacities of the partner organisations. PROFILE OF A PARTNER SEEDS (Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development Services Gte Ltd) is the economic arm of the Sarvodaya movement, the largest social development organization in the non-governmental sector in Sri Lanka. SEEDS provides micro-finance, business development and vocational training services to members of village societies in 25 districts. SEEDS vision is “to alleviate poverty in the country, particularly in rural areas by empowering the village based community organizations, the Sarvodaya Shramadana Societies (SSS)”. SEEDS develops and supports these societies to deliver their own microfinance services. Within its 18 years of operation, SEEDS has grown rapidly to become the largest non-governmental micro-financier in Sri Lanka. (For more details visit www.seeds.lk) OTHER PARTNERS IN SRI LANKA Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development Services (SEEDS) Institute for Development of Community Strengths (INDECOS) Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce (HDCC) Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) CRC - Cathy Rich Food Processing Training Centre
REDUCE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER Food insecurity and malnutrition constitute priority sectors for Uniterra's partners in every country in its program: Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.