Women’s Palmyra Business Expansion

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

In 2014, we helped 35 vulnerable women from the rural villages of Kannady and Nedunkerny to set up a business producing woven handicrafts from the leaves of the Palmyra tree, our namesake. This small, home-based business has been successful, with the women now earning supplementary income of between $30 – $90 AUD per month selling goods such as baskets, boxes and string hopper trays on the local market. But we think it can be even more successful. Now, we are going to help these women to expand their business by supporting them to meet national and international orders.

“In 1990, my family fled to India because of the conflict. In 2005, after 14 years living in a refugee camp, we returned back to Sri Lanka to start our life again. Now I am a member of Palmyra Products Production group. Before this project my family depended only on my husbands wage, but now I can contribute to the income of our family as well. With this extra income we can regularly buy enough food so we can eat three times a day. We have even been able to start saving.”

– Letchumanan Jegajothy, Resident of Kannady Village.

Through further training and mentorship, the second phase of this project will support these women to develop the higher-level business and design skills they need to sell their products on the national and international markets. Through investment in a new production centre, the women will be able to work together and have the resources to meet the increased production needs of these larger markets.

This will not only improve the lives of these women, but also transform the community around them as income levels rise and the increased trade has a flow on effect to other villagers. Increased income means the villagers are better able to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, education and healthcare.

Most importantly, the project will increase the self-sufficiency and dignity of the women involved, as they are able to lift themselves, their families and their communities out of poverty.

HOW WILL THIS PROJECT WORK?

This project aims to expand the home-based woven goods business that serves local needs into a large-scale production centre that has the capacity to meet national and international needs.

Mentoring will support the women to successfully plan their business expansion. This will involve activities such as exposure visits to successful weaving businesses in other parts of Sri Lanka, support to develop a new business model, and connections with new buyers.

Finance will be provided so that the women can construct a business premises that suits the needs of higher levels of production. Currently, because the women produce woven goods separately, there is variation between the products, which means the group has difficulty meeting large orders. Investment in new premises will mean the business is able to meet these large orders and dramatically increase profits.

Training on skills such as business management, negotiation, communication, pricing strategies, and innovative product designs will ensure the women have the knowledge and ability to successfully expand their business.

THE BENEFITS

• By supporting this project you will be helping these women to lift themselves, their family and their community out of poverty. Specifically your investment will provide:
• The ability to increase production will mean profits increase, and beneficiaries are better able to meet their basic needs.
• The increased trade from having a large business operating in the local village will have a flow on effect to other villagers, meaning income levels will increase for the wider community.
• Increased incomes means beneficiaries are better able to invest in long-term goals such as their children’s education and family savings. This means more resilience and less poverty in the future.
• Beneficiaries self-esteem and dignity improves through the ability to develop long term business skills and the knowledge that their hard work is supporting themselves, their families, and the community.

HOW DO WE ENSURE THE PROJECT IS SUSTAINABLE AFTER WE LEAVE?

• The project is building on an already successful business.
• It uses materials that are in abundance in the area and builds on Palmyra weaving skills that the beneficiaries had prior to the first phase of the project, as well as business skills learned during the first phase.
• It has been co-design with the 35 members of the Palmyra Products Production Group and the wider community, to ensure the project meets local needs.

Women’s Village Bank – Irruttumadu

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE INVESTED IN THIS PROJECT?

In each village where we support rural entrepreneurs and farmers, we simultaneously support a women’s village bank, because without a way to hold on to income gains, families remain vulnerable to falling back into poverty. This project will take place in the village of Irruttumadu.

In the village of Irruttumadu there are over 220 families and to date there has been no independent savings and loans programs in this village. We are invested in this project because building savings habits and creating a safe way to save and a platform for loans enables women to build wealth and improve their resilience to shocks which would otherwise risk their family from falling back into poverty.

It enables women to stand on their own two feet, make their own decisions and be in control of their financial circumstances.

THE BENEFITS

Increase in savings which not only increases wealth but provides a buffer to unexpected changes or shocks that may otherwise have a family fall back into poverty

• Financial independence and improved financial knowledge
• Improved social capital and women from different backgrounds in the village work closely together to save and lend
• Independence from money lenders and other adverse financial providers for short terms cash requirements
• Access in the village to safe and reliable cash injections
• Life long improved savings practices

HOW WILL THE PROJECT WORK?

This unique savings program aims to work directly with 100 women in the village of Irruttumadu, Mulaithivu. Savings and loan programs especially amongst women are proven to be one of the most successful and cost effective programs!

It works like this – Firstly we identify a trusted woman in the community who becomes our mobiliser. She is trained on all that she needs to know but other women from the community who have done this in their village (who we trained through previous projects).

With her we go door to door, speaking to women and engaging them on this idea. One group forms of roughly 10 – 20 women. They have never saved before and they wonder how they will be able to manage it. But slowly ideas are generated like like buying rice together in bulk. If more inspiration is needed then we visit other women who are further along the journey in other villages who can mentor and inspire!

Over time they begin to save and in doing so they inspire other groups, with the help of the mobiliser and our team. One groups turns into many. They are trained over a period of 12 months on 10 critical areas focusing on everything record keeping, to loaning money, to running a meeting to financial literacy. They are also trained on critical social issues like child abuse, domestic violence and safe migration.

They meet each week, they save, they lend and they share. In time in the village we have engaged 100 women (approx. 10 groups) and now we can form a cluster. This is a group that sits above the 10 groups with 2 representatives from each group. They gather the savings that are not lent as loans and distribute it as larger loans to a women in the group. They also undertake specialised training in some critical business environment and social matters and help coordinate a voice for the women in the village.

The group will be open to all women who want to partake in the groups – it will leave no one out!

HOW DO WE ENSURE THE PROJECT IS SUSTAINABLE AFTER WE LEAVE?

The low overhead operations makes the groups profitable and financially sustainable. Studies conducted among groups conducted through AFRICA show that 95-100% of the groups regroup after graduation and continue operations without the NGO’s support.

Training is provided for a period of 18 months to the social mobiliser and support is sustained for the social mobiliser and the group members for the 5 years that Palmera continues its presence in the village. Although the program is handed over to the members in its entirety within 18 months of inception, support and monitoring continues to ensure sustainability post our exit from the village.

This program forms part of a 5 year village program in the village of Irruttumadu to increase income, savings and improve access for youth to profitable sectors.

Water for life

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

For Rani living in rural Northern Sri Lanka, water is everything. Water is life. It is what will nourish her family, enable her to cultivate her land and earn an income so she can put food on the table.

We will be restoring 10 common wells that have been damaged by war to benefit 48 families who will use it for drinking water and for their farms so they can re-establish their livelihoods.

The families in the village of Valalaai fled over 2 decades ago and have not seen their homes since. Although the war ended in 2009, this village was classified a high security zone, and so they are only now being allowed to return to their homes. But with one of the worst civil wars having damaged the area, what they are returning to is ground zero – damaged homes, wells and little infrastructure. To restart their lives and continue their journey out of poverty, water is critical.

HOW WILL IT WORK?

We have identified an agricultural village where we know that restoring wells will not only provide drinking water but a sustainable livelihood. We have identified 48 families in the village and based on that 10 wells that need to be restored. Each well is a common well and through a deed, provides a right to a certain number of families to access the well. We will work with the families, requiring their labour contribution, to restore the wells so that the water quality is safe for drinking and for agricultural purposes.

THE BENEFITS

• Access to drinking water for 48 families. Currently drinking water needs to be purchased or is supplied by the government for these families
• Access to water to re-establish their livelihoods
• Regenerating their lands through cultivation
• Food security through crops grown at home for their consumption
• Increase income from agriculture to support basic needs and improve economic well being

HOW ARE WE ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY?

Sustainability is critical in all our projects. We know we have to leave and when we do, our work and efforts must not only continue but grow. This can only occur through ownership in the community. Families will be required to contribute to the well reconstruction to ensure this. Furthermore, we will provide maintenance training to all families and transfer new knowledge on water quality testing so that they are able to manage the wells going forward. We have engaged the local village leaders, and with them will establish an ongoing monitoring system so that they can ensure that the 10 wells continue to provide for the village.

Toy Production

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHAT WE DO

Women in impoverished Puttalam District earn a living making and selling children’s toys. They have an idea to expand their toy businesses and transform the lives of their families and community. Your donation will help these women turn their idea into reality by enabling them to purchase quality materials, undertake training on design, marketing and business management, and coordinate the sale of their toys through an online platform.

We support this project from start to finish until the business owners are self-sufficient. We work with the women to identify their passions, turn their ideas into new realities, develop core skills and provide funding for initial outlay and connect the business to new markets.

Self-Generating: As part of our self-sufficiency approach, we work with the women to expand their already established businesses. This ensures the project is beneficiary owned and led from start to end.

Self-Improving: Through training we provide new skills that will last a lifetime, including:

• Advanced product design
• Marketing
• Quality maintenance
• Entrepreneurship

Innovating: We introduce a new Marketing Centre, allowing the women to coordinate the sales of their toys through a central online system. This ensures they are able to reach new national and international markets and increase sales.

WHY IT WORKS

Beneficiary Led: Ensure women feel a sense of ownership and dignity in rebuilding their livelihoods.

Empowering: Encourage women to become more involved in their community and economic decision-making.

Life Changing: Support women to increase their income levels, which means they are better able to meet the food, education and health needs of their families and contribute to the long-term prosperity of their community.

HOW WE ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY

We build on the existing toy production experience and skills of these women. Training on new toy production techniques will ensure that the women are able to develop their businesses in ways that are environmentally friendly.

Thervipuram A Village2Markets

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

SARMILA

Sarmila is a 29 year old who lives with her young daughter. At age 20 she became a widow when her husband died in the war. She also lost her father. After a life of displacement, she left the refugee camps in 2009 and returned back to her ancestral land in Thervipuram. The lands were overgrown and she started life again from nothing. Knowing she could not work as a labourer, given her care duties for her daughter, she was determined to start a thriving farm. But she had many challenges, from getting quality inputs to achieving quality that buyers now demanded, earning enough income to feed and clothe her small family was becoming increasingly difficult. The Village2Markets programme works with Sarmila and 299 other people just like her in her village to identify ways that they can increase income and savings, despite their circumstances. It leverages the power of the entrepreneurial capacity of the village and better connects them to the market so they can start to stand on their own two feet.

WHAT WE ARE DOING?

We work through an approach developed by Palmera and our local partners called Village2Markets.

It offers a bundle of services to improve economic inclusion for all, focusing not just on the individual farmer, but the market systems in which they operate. It recognises that we need to go beyond teaching families how to fish for the poorest to develop thriving businesses.

Village 2 Markets leverages the opportunity created by this diversity and addresses market barriers through the collective efforts of all producers. As a result, the village moves from a web of shared poverty to one of shared prosperity.

Click here to learn more about the approach.

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

In the village of Thervipuram A over 75% of families lives under the poverty line and 90% engage in irregular work. Here, families are living hand to mouth. We have chosen to come to this village and launch the Village2Markets programme as we believe that through increasing income, increasing savings and reducing vulnerability, the village can stand on its on two feet, families can better provide for their children and improvement can be achieved in the health, education and well being of the whole community.

At the end of this 5 year programme, launched in 2015 and set to finalise in 2020, we will aim to achieve the following:

• 300 Families in the villages report they have substantially increased income
• 300 Families in the villages report they have increased savings
• 300 Families report they are now better able to provide for themselves and their children. They report that they can better feed their children, provide education and attend to medical needs
• 300 Families in the villages report they have reduced vulnerability
• 200 Women & men will have increased their savings & provided loans to women to manage emergency and livelihood needs
• There will be an established women empowerment structure through the Village Bank to break down barriers women face to access the market place and have a voice in their community
• 200 Farmers will have adopted innovative techniques in Dairy, Maize and at least 1 other sector
• 200 Farmers yield and income will have increased by at least 35%
• 200 Farmers will have a better understanding of their sector and have developed stronger connections with buyers
• 200 Farmers will have better access to existing and improved / new market services and can better access adequate financial services
• Collectives, group businesses or individual businesses servicing farmers will have been established
• Private sector will be better engaged with the village in the selected subsectors
• Most vulnerable will have been provided with basic assets to participate in the selected subsectors

HOW YOU CAN HELP

For as little as $200 a farmer over 5 years you can support them to improve their income in up to 3 different sectors, improve their savings by being connected with a village savings bank and mainstream financial services and reduce their vulnerability. In doing this, income will increase and they will better be able to provide for their family.

The support does not only transform a family but helps transform a whole village, allowing the village to move from a web of shared poverty to prosperity.

Theravil Village Farm

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

“I always believed the farm here in our village is the only answer for all our economic needs. Now it has come to be” – Jukistra, resident of Theravil village.

Theravil village sustained significant damage during the war, and its residents were displaced to refugee camps. Returning to find their livelihoods destroyed, Palmera assisted them to begin rebuilding in 2014.

We did this through supporting a group of people to use one of the community’s key assets, a disused community owned farm, to establish a Poultry Business.This Poultry Business has been very successful, providing employment and a regular income for the people who work there. And there is more opportunity- demand currently outstrips supply for poultry projects, and there is unused land that can be used to grow crops.

The success of this business has led us in 2016 to expand the poultry business and the surrounding farm so we can employ and increase the income of more entrepreneurs in the village.

Jukistra and Sumathy both work at the Poultry Farm. They came to us with a plan to grow black gram on this unused land. They believe that with hard work and some support, they can significantly increase their income through this community farm.

Jukistra is a big believer in the power of this farm to transform the community. She is a 42-year-old widow with a 12-year-old daughter. Losing her husband due to the conflict in 2009 and sustaining an injury to her hand, Jukistra struggled to rebuild. She explains:

“I survived by doing labour work, but unfortunately this work doesn’t last for more than 10 days and the pay is only 60 cents (AUD) per day. There were times when there was no food to eat. I needed to find a way to survive for my daughter, and for myself.”

We wanted a different life and a different direction. For a long time, I couldn’t think about the past. Those years were dark times for me. When others began sharing how they lived 10 years back, I realised how far my daughter and I were pushed back because of the war. We have nearly nothing.

I always believed the farm here in our village is the only answer for all our economic needs. Now it has come to be. Because of this, I now have a sense of hope for our future.”

HOW WILL THIS PROJECT WORK?

We will support the people of Theravil village to expand their Poultry business to meet the high demand for their products.

We will also support people like Jukistra and Sumathy to establish agriculture businesses using the land available at the community farm.

To do this, we will provide:

• Training and mentoring on small business ownership.
• Training and mentoring on environmentally friendly, efficient and sustainable agriculture techniques
• Interest free loans to invest in the Poultry business and other agriculture activities on the farm.
• Support to access new markets to sell products in.

THE BENEFITS

• Support disadvantaged people to access economic opportunities, so they can increase their income and better meet their basic needs such as food, education and shelter.
• Support vulnerable people to learn the lifelong skills needed to be more resilient for the rest of their lives.
• Strengthen the community by investing in local solutions to poverty.

Sumathy talks about the impact that war and poverty has had on her generation. “My dream was to be a teacher but it never became true,” she says. “I lost my education and hopes due to the war. Because of this farm, we now have a sense of hope.”

For Jukistra, this project will first and foremost give her the ability to provide three nutritious meals a day for her daughter and for herself. But it will also mean she can invest in her daughter’s education, so her daughter can realise her dreams in a way Jukistra’s generation was never able to.

Jukistra shares with us her plans for the money she and Sumathy will earn from growing black gram at the community farm:

“After the first harvest, we will repay the loan and reinvest on peanut and banana crops. And, for the first time I am going to buy something new for my daughter, and something small for myself.”

HOW DO WE ENSURE THE PROJECT IS SUSTAINABLE AFTER WE LEAVE?

• Investing in local people to create local solutions
• Utilising an already existing community asset, the community owned farming land
• Expanding an already existing business, the Poultry Farm, which has shown great potential to provide income and employment for the community

Sustainable Dairy Farming Project

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Dairy farmers in war affected Vavuniya returned from refugee camps to find that their livelihoods had been destroyed. Although they have experience and skill in dairy farming, they lack the ability to restart their businesses. This means that these families struggle to meet their basic needs.

We will support the farmers to restart their dairy businesses by providing the means to purchase cows and cattle sheds, and the training to ensure their businesses are successful.

HOW WILL THIS PROJECT WORK?

Support for this project will be provided from beginning to end as we work with the community to surface their passions, generate new ideas, develop core skills, finance business inputs and connect the business to new markets.

We will provide loans to farmers for the purchase of cows and cattle sheds. The loans will be repaid over 2 years with no interest. Loans mean the farmers will feel ownership of the project as they are contributing to restarting their business.

We will also provide training on innovative and sustainable dairy farming practices to ensure the business can produce enough high quality milk to provide a regular source of income for these families.

This training will focus on the production, preservation and marketing of fresh milk, including:

• Innovative new techniques in cattle management such as crossbreeding cows, artificial insemination and grazing.
• Animal health and nutrition
• Good business management practices.

THE BENEFITS

• Loans for cows and cattle sheds will ensure farmers are able to feel a sense of ownership and dignity in rebuilding their livelihoods.
• Training on innovative and sustainable dairy farming practices will mean farmers can increase their agriculture and business skills and maximise their businesses productivity.
• Farmers will be able to significantly increase their income levels, allowing their families to better meet their daily food, health and education needs.

HOW DO WE ENSURE THE PROJECT IS SUSTAINABLE AFTER WE LEAVE?

The project builds on the existing dairy farming experience and skills of these people.

Training on new farming techniques will ensure that the dairy farmers are able to develop their businesses in ways that ensure the long-term health of cattle and are gentle on the environment.

Social Business for Vulnerable Women

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

At Palmera we believe a livelihood for a vulnerable woman can start with something as simple as a single stitch. This is why we are establishing a social business, “It Starts with a Stitch” (ISWAS), to empower vulnerable women in Northern Sri Lanka to run their own garment centres to earn a sustainable income from ethically producing school uniforms for children in Australia. All profits earned will be directed into expanding the business into rural villages and supporting local communities. Funding is required for a feasibility study and to select the first pilot garment business.

Initially, Palmera will undertake a feasibility study to identify potential beneficiaries, and develop an optimal business model for the export of uniforms. Based on this study a pilot garment business will then be established in Northern Sri Lanka. This pilot will be the basis for establishing a sustainable social business. Once the pilot garment centre is shown to be successful, this project will be replicated in other communities and relationships with Australian schools will be developed.

THE BENEFITS

• Enables a safe and flexible working environment for vulnerable women by locating the garment businesses in the village so women do not travel far distances to work (which would otherwise leave them exposed to sexual abuse, violence or trafficking).
• Alleviates poverty and aid-dependency in post-war communities with all profits earned from the business being directed into expanding ISWAS into other villages and to supporting the local community (e.g. through water, sanitation and educational initiatives).
• Empowers and instils confidence in vulnerable women with marketable skills and training to produce garments of export quality.
• Provides vulnerable women with a regular sustainable income stream that does not fluctuate with economic conditions or seasonal factors.
• Creates a range of employment opportunities in underdeveloped rural markets ranging from providing a sewing livelihood to entrepreneurial opportunities to manage contracts with local and international buyers.
• Increases education and awareness of social businesses in Australia about ethical supply chains and inspires the next generation on socially conscious capitalism.

BACKGROUND

There are over 90,000 war widows in Sri Lanka who are disempowered and lack the opportunity to move past the trauma of war. This is especially so for vulnerable women in the more isolated rural areas of Northern Sri Lanka. International bodies (such as the UN and International Crisis Group) report sexual abuse, violence, extreme poverty, and limited livelihood support for these women.

Palmera is excited to investigate options to establish a social business, “It Starts With a Stitch” (ISWAS), in apparel-production that provides a safe and flexible livelihood for these vulnerable women. School uniforms have been selected as the primary garment because the demand for school uniforms does not fluctuate in response to short or medium term economic conditions. It therefore allows for the creation of stable and predictable income for business owners and in turn, the women they employ. Sri Lanka is a leading apparel producing country and the skills learnt by the beneficiaries will be transferable and in-demand by large Sri Lankan manufacturers.

If the project is successfully piloted, Palmera will move to establish “It Starts with a Stitch” as a full-scale social business exporting ethically produced garments to Australia. “It Starts with a Stich” will showcase what can be achieved through a social business model and inspire entrepreneurs to engage in conscious capitalism. As a social business “It Starts with a Stitch” will put in place measures to ensure ethical operations and treatment of employees, including a strong focus on fair employment conditions and OH&S, especially given the global pressures for safety and remuneration reform in the industry.

In addition, exporting the garments to Australia provides an opportunity to shift Australia’s development focus in war-torn regions of Sri Lanka from aid-based assistance to an empowering commercial relationship. To date, there is no other social enterprise supplying the school uniform market in Australia so ISWAS is a truly innovative business entering the market. It allows Australian children to understand in an interactive and meaningful way about how their ethical decisions can create significant social change in a global economy

Palmera will work with a local NGO in this initial phase of the project to conduct the feasibility study and work with local communities to select a pilot centre.

Beyond this, “It Starts with a Stitch” will replicate the local pilot garment centre in other Northern Sri Lankan communities, establish a regional buying centre and work with Australian schools to market and implement the sale of the garments. 100% of the profits from the business will be reinvested back into the development of the social business and the communities in which they operate.

OUR PARTNER

LEADS is an experienced local organisation that has worked in Sri Lanka over the past three decades, specialising in disaster response, resettlement and integrated community development. LEADS has been instrumental in the delivery of shelter, water and sanitation, and medical programs in post disaster areas hit by the 2004 tsunami and the torrential rains of 2010 and 2011.

With this rich experience, LEADS is an ideal partner for Palmera to work with on developing the feasibility of this garment social business.

Savings for Life!

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE INVESTED IN THIS PROJECT?

Over 70% of people in emerging markets do not have a formal bank account (Goss, Mas, Radcliffe, & Stark, 2011). Despite exclusion from what we consider formal banking, many people in emerging markets have figured out their own ways to save money – Savings of self help groups.

This is exactly what we are investing in this project. To provide those who are normally excluded because of access the ability to not only save, but take loans from those savings and develop a strong women’s network in the village where challenges and victories can be shared!

THE BENEFITS

• Increase in savings which not only increases wealth but provides a buffer to unexpected changes or shocks that may otherwise have a family fall back into poverty
• Financial independence and improved financial knowledge
• Improved social capital and women from different backgrounds in the village work closely together to save and lend
• Independence from money lenders and other adverse financial providers for short terms cash requirements
• Access in the village to safe and reliable cash injections
• Life long improved savings practices

HOW WILL THE PROJECT WORK?

This unique savings program aims to work directly with 150 women in the village of Thervipuram A, Mulaithivu. Savings and loan programs especially amongst women are proven to be one of the most successful and cost effective programs!

It works like this – Firstly we identify a trusted woman in the community who becomes our mobiliser. She is trained on all that she needs to know but other women from the community who have done this in their village (who we trained through previous projects).

With her we go door to door, speaking to women and engaging them on this idea. One group forms of roughly 10 – 20 women. They have never saved before and they wonder how they will be able to manage it. But slowly ideas are generated like like buying rice together in bulk. If more inspiration is needed then we visit other women who are further along the journey in other villages who can mentor and inspire!

Over time they begin to save and in doing so they inspire other groups, with the help of the mobiliser and our team. One groups turns into many. They are trained over a period of 12 months on 10 critical areas focusing on everything record keeping, to loaning money, to running a meeting to financial literacy. They are also trained on critical social issues like child abuse, domestic violence and safe migration.

They meet each week, they save, they lend and they share.

In time in the village we have engaged 150 women (approx. 10 groups) and now we can form a cluster. This is a group that sits above the 10 groups with 2 representatives from each group. They gather the savings that are not lent as loans and distribute it as larger loans to a women in the group. They also undertake specialised training in some critical business environment and social matters and help coordinate a voice for the women in the village.

The group will be open to all women who want to partake in the groups – it will leave no one out!

HOW DO WE ENSURE THE PROJECT IS SUSTAINABLE AFTER WE LEAVE?

The low overhead operations makes the groups profitable and financially sustainable. Studies conducted among groups conducted through AFRICA show that 95-100% of the groups regroup after graduation and continue operations without the NGO’s support.

Training is provided for a period of 18 months to the social mobiliser and support is sustained for the social mobiliser and the group members for the 5 years that Palmera continues its presence in the village. Although the program is handed over to the members in its entirety within 18 months of inception, support and monitoring continues to ensure sustainability post our exit from the village.

This program forms part of a 5 year village program in the village of Thervipuram A to increase income, savings and improve access for youth to profitable sectors.

Safe Sanitation

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is critical for the survival, development and well-being of children. In the village of Iluppaikulam, Vavuniya (Northern Sri Lanka), there are 64 people that do not have this basic right.

HOW WILL THIS PROJECT WORK?

The project involves the construction of toilets and the promotion of good sanitation and hygiene practices.

Palmera will work closely with the community for the construction of 16 toilets, requiring at least 40% financial or labour contribution. This means that families will be provided with technical training which will enable ownership and maintenance of the toilets, critical to the sustainability of the project.

With the promotion of good sanitation and hygiene practices, Palmera will provide awareness sessions to the community, which will be closely monitored through the duration of the project.

These sessions will cover a range of topics, including:

• Personal health and hygiene habits including hand washing
• Types of diseases that can spread through lack of water hygiene
• How to collect and store water for drinking and cooking purposes
• Prevention of epidemic disease

THE IMPACTS

• Reduces the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases by 32% – 37%, one of the leading causes of deaths in children under the age of 5.
• Reduces health risks
• Frees-up time for education and other productive activities

HOW DO WE ENSURE THE PROJECT IS SUSTAINABLE AFTER WE LEAVE?

The community is trained in all the technical maintenance aspects of the toilet construction so that they can identify and fix any technical issues that may arise once we have finished the program.

Pray for Sri Lanka Relief

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

WHY HELP IS NEEDED

A wave of bombings across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday killed 321 people and injured hundreds more in Sri Lanka’s capital and East. Many of the injured are suffering intense burns, are weak, and need the physical strength to recover.

After the body’s initial shock response to the injury wears off, metabolism rates can increase up to 180 percent, heart rates can jump by up to 150 percent and the liver can increase in size by up to 200 percent.

In short, the body goes into hyperdrive to heal wounds, and it looks for nutrients wherever it can find them. Unless the patient receives large amounts of supplemental nutrients, the body will rob itself of core nutrients. Essentially, if patients aren’t able to meet the high calorie and protein requirements it takes to heal, their body will start consuming its own muscle mass in order to deliver nutrition. Muscle wasting is most obvious in the arms, legs and abdomen.

Once patients lose that muscle mass, their ability to exercise, undergo rehabilitation, and fight infection are severely compromised

HOW CAN YOU HELP

We have had a request from the General Hospital in Batticaloa for specialised protein powder and other specialised protein supplements to provide to burn victims, as a way to improve their nutritional strength and ensure a quick road to recovery.

Your donations through this campaign will fund this much-needed protein powder to assist in the recovery of those most impacted by these events.

Polonnaruwa Village2Markets

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal!

NIRUPIKA

Nirupika Priyadarshani lives with her husband, her 20 year old daughter and her 13 year old son who suffers from a hole in the heart and has an incurable mouth disease. Because of his illness he is unable to attend school and Nirupika needs to be with him all day to care for him. Because of this, her family survives on the daily labour wage of her husband but labour work is inconsistent and hard to come by. With the health bills and other daily costs, every day is a struggle for her family. The Village2Markets programme works with Nirpika and 299 other people just like her in her village to identify ways that they can increase income and savings, despite their circumstances. It leverages the power of the entrepreneurial capacity of the village and better connects them to the market so they can start to stand on their own two feet.

WHAT WE ARE DOING?

We work through an approach developed by Palmera and our local partners called Village2Markets.

It offers a bundle of services to improve economic inclusion for all, focusing not just on the individual farmer, but the market systems in which they operate. It recognises that we need to go beyond teaching families how to fish for the poorest to develop thriving businesses.

Village 2 Markets leverages the opportunity created by this diversity and addresses market barriers through the collective efforts of all producers. As a result, the village moves from a web of shared poverty to one of shared prosperity.

Click here to learn more about the approach

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

In the villages of Rajaelegama and Ungalawehera, in the Polonnaruwa district over 47% of families lives under the poverty line. With 1,134 women and 680 men, the 1 in 4 families also have a member that suffer a long term illness or disability. In these villages, families are living hand to mouth. We have chosen to come to this village and launch the Village2Markets programme as we believe that through increasing income, increasing savings and reducing vulnerability, the village can stand on its on two feet, families can better provide for their children and improvement can be achieved in the health, education and well being of the whole community.

At the end of this 5 year programme, launched in 2016 and set to finalise in 2021, we will aim to achieve the following:

• 300 Families in the villages report they have substantially increased income
• 300 Families in the villages report they have increased savings
• 300 Families report they are now better able to provide for themselves and their children. The report they can better feed their children, provide education and attend to medical needs.
• 300 Families in the villages report they have reduced vulnerability
• 200 Women & men will have increased their savings & provided loans to women to manage emergency and livelihood needs
• There will be an established women empowerment structure through the Village Bank to break down barriers women face to access the market place and have a voice in their community
• 200 Farmers will have adopted innovative techniques in Dairy, Maize and at least 1 other sector
• 200 Farmers yield and income will have increased by at least 35%
• 200 Farmers will have a better understanding of their sector and have developed stronger connections with buyers
• 200 Farmers will have better access to existing and improved / new market services and can better access adequate financial services
• Collectives, group businesses or individual businesses servicing farmers will have been established
• Private sector will be better engaged with the village in the selected subsectors
• Most vulnerable will have been provided with basic assets to participate in the selected Subsectors

HOW YOU CAN HELP

For as little as $200 a farmer over 5 years you can support them to improve their income in up to 3 different sectors, improve their savings by being connected with a village savings bank and mainstream financial services and reduce their vulnerability. In doing this, income will increase and they will better be able to provide for their family.

The support does not only transform a family but helps transform a whole village, allowing the village to move from a web of shared poverty to prosperity.