𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬! 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐚, 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚 & 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚.

The “Promoting Business Opportunities and Industry Linkages through Capacity Building and Networking among Women Entrepreneurs” is an initiative between Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) and National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA). Financed by DevPro Guarantee Limited, the initiative conducted one-day workshop in each of the 3 districts Rathnapura, Monaragala, and Badulla, for women agripreneurs.

The Ratnapura workshop and the Monaragla workshop were held at their District Secretariats on February 19 and 20 respectively. The Badulla workshop was conducted on February 21at the Welimada Divisional Secretariat on February 21st. Each workshop was attended by 30 women agripreneurs from the district, and NEDA’s district-level officials, totalingtotalling to 55 participants.

The key subjects covered included; digital banking, financial literacy, and social media networking. The resource persons for workshops were drawn from the institutions such as the RDB Bank and LB Finance in the area, and representatives from NEDA, HARTI, and the Sri Lanka Agripreneurs’ Forum (SLAF). The purpose of the workshops were to enhance networking opportunities and capacity building for women agripreneurs.

This initiative is a part of the Oxfam’s project in Sri Lanka “Resilient and Gender Inclusive Enterprise Systems (RIES)”, which is implemented by DevPro. Aiming to continue the Oxfam’s legacy, DevPro was founded in 2021 with Oxfam’s support. DevPro is a valued partner of Oxfam Australia and receives flexible funding annually under the Australian Government’s Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) to carry out development programs.