Thick creamy yoghurt is soon to roll off the production line at a factory in Panama on the east coast of Sri Lanka. This however, will not be an ordinary dairy factory but a joint venture between SEDCO, Sewalanka’s enterprise development subsidiary and local women’s community groups. The arrangement has been established to allow local women to market their traditional curd and yoghurt across the country.
Over the past year, Sewalanka has been working with farming communities in Ampara to help them recover from the destruction and disruption caused by the tsunami.
Many farming communities were badly affected by the disaster but found themselves neglected as the majority of aid agencies and development programs concentrated on coastal fishing communities.
In Ampara, Sewalanka staff, with funding from Unitarian Universalist Service Comittee decided to assist women who traditionally supplement their families’ income by growing cash crops. Discussions were held with local women’s community-based organisations (CBOs), and the women suggested that increasing dairy production would allow them to significantly raise their income.
Subsequently, Sewalanka distributed 20 buffaloes and 30 cows among 50 women attached to three local community-based organisations. Recipients agreed to refund 40 per cent of the value of the animals within three years, increasing the sustainability of the project as these payments allow Sewalanka to finance the distribution of more cattle.
Mr Deepal Chandrathilake, Regional Field Director (East) said that to further enhance sustainability, Sewalanka also provided recipients with veterinary training to allow them to effectively care for their animals.
“The project has, so far, been extremely successful however it was felt that the economic benefits of the program would be enhanced if the women could be provided with further opportunities for marketing and value addition,” Mr Chandrathilake said.
“Therefore SEDCO, the investment and marketing division of Sewalanka made the decision to invest in the construction of a yoghurt and curd factory which will allow farmers to process their milk and sell higher value products.
“The factory is scheduled to open by the end of the year and will buy milk for conversion into yoghurt which will be sold regionally and eventually island-wide under the Sewa brand name.
“SEDCO will assist in the marketing of the product and hopes eventually to create national demand for a traditional, regional product.
“On completion, the factory will serve as a working example of Sewalanka’s vision of fostering development by allowing disadvantaged communities to participate directly in the national economy, it will of course also provide the nation with a tasty product that should soon be available in stores island-wide,” he said.
