Grassroots Initiatives

Since 2005, Sewalanka has offered opportunities for individuals and groups to directly support projects in rural communities in Sri Lanka. Communities often identify needs and opportunities that cannot be supported within the framework of Sewalanka's project funding. These Grassroots Initiatives are locally driven and tend to have a high impact. Sponsoring a Grassroots Initiative allows you to choose the project or projects that interest you most. Through your donation, we can help a vulnerable community in Sri Lanka make their idea a reality.

Since we began appealing to individual and group donors, we have been overwhelmed by your generosity. Grassroots Initiatives have been supported by school groups, offices and individuals. We have even made arrangements for people to visit the Grassroots initiatives they supported.

Examples of past Grassroots Initiatives include:

• Rehabilitated irrigation systems in a marginalized area of Ampara to bring water to 20,000 acres of rice fields

• Established a safe new home for children who were orphaned or abandoned due to the from war or tsunami affected families in Batticaloa

• Provided bicycles to local vendors that were affected by the tsunami

• Established a community center for a tsunami-affected village in Kalutara;

• Provided Sinhala and English language classes for disadvantaged children in two upcountry tea estates

• Cleared rubble and waste from Trincomalee coral reefs and beaches after the tsunami.

Current grassroots initiatives are listed below. Click on a link to see the project details and how you or your group can sponsor the activity.

• Help a community in Galle replant their mangrove forest! (Coming soon. Please check back for more details.)

• Help a tea estate community establish a clean drinking water system! (Coming soon. Please check back for more details.)

If you are interested in supporting a Grassroots Initiative with a particular focus (women, environment, livelihoods, children, etc.), please contact us at headquarters@sewalanka.org and we will send a list of opportunities.