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| Livelihood development division partners with PRIMA to refine and market Kurakkan Flour |
For over a decade, Sewalanka Foundation has developed effective strategies for working with the displaced facilitating a transition from relief aid dependency to long-term sustainable development. Sewalanka’s experience indicates that whilst investment is required for basic infrastructure - like credit funds, boats and farming inputs - successful and sustainable livelihood redevelopment also requires investment in social and human capital.
During 2003/04, Sewalanka Foundation formalised a livelihood development strategy that integrates social and economic development activities. This integration ensures that (1) groups see an economic benefit to collective action and (2) enterprise development occurs in the context of a broader social network. Enterprise development provides economic support for the social network, and the social network provides a safety network in the event of market fluctuations or other external shocks.
| The strategy includes the following basic services, which can be adjusted according to the particular needs of a community: | |
| • | Savings and credit programmes initiated as part of the social mobilisation and institutional capacity building process |
| • | Detailed participatory livelihood assessment to identify opportunities and constraints |
| • | Sector-specific research on best practices and identification of alternative livelihood development strategies |
| • | Feasibility studies (e.g. financial viability, implementation time frame, pricing assessments, and market analyses) |
| • | Training programmes and implementation support (e.g. business plan development, accessing capital, company registration, shareholder and management structures, book keeping, pricing, packaging, distribution logistics, and marketing strategies |
The Livelihood Redevelopment Division will continue to work with small-scale fishermen, farmers, and entrepreneurs who have organised themselves, established a microcredit repayment record, and are discussing innovative strategies for long-term development.
Presently, Sewalanka Foundation is carefully studying the
potential of expanding its ongoing micro-finance activities. A group of
micro-finance practitioners based in the global south and the north are
assisting Sewalanka in this exercise that aims at filling gaps of the existing
micro-finance programme.
>> To find out more, contact:
Mr. Mahinda de Silva, Senior Consultant
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