Grant Aid to Women Entrepreneurs
The bank supported 08 women entrepreneurs to expand and grow their business ventures, by granting a total of LKR 2.6 Mn in grant aid. As part of this sustainability project over 30 women entrepreneurs island wide were shortlisted and interviewed. The grant recipients were selected based on their potential and the value addition to the economy, environment & society.
Key features of their business operations were the integration of sustainable aspects into their daily operations and employment creation for women especially single mothers, widows, marginalised and differently abled.
The grant recipients were from Girithale, Batticaloa, Eheliyagoda, Jaela, Katugasthota, Katubedda, Rajanganaya and Kurunegala, operating businesses ranging from craft products using invasive plants as raw material, herbal coffee & cosmetic products, ornamental candles, jewellery, organic fertiliser and paper craft products using natural fibres such as banana, grass, paddy straws etc.
Financial Inclusion & Women Empowerment
Supporting the socio-economic empowerment of women is a priority for the bank with on-going initiatives to empower women and equip them to successfully manage their business ventures.
Women empowerment is driven through capacity building programmes as well as through dedicated funding lines. The programmes focus on basic business management skills and financial discipline required to successfully manage their ventures.
Promoting Inventions Supporting Climate Action
Every invention or innovation changes lives, solves problems, and drives the economy. With the state of climate emergency, we are in; inventions that support climate action are vital and are the need of the hour. The bank embarked on an initiative to promote inventions that support ‘climate action’ by engaging with the ‘Sri Lanka Inventors Commission’ (SLIC). The first recipient of a grant under this initiative is Mr Sunil Perera, the inventor of EMSOL. His invention ‘EMSOL’ (Emission Solution) is a liquid fuel additive that can be used with all fossil fuels to enhance performance and reduce emission from combustion. It is the only fuel additive developed in Sri Lanka and is manufactured using over 50% of raw materials of local origin and is user friendly and environment friendly.