World Vision and Finnish aid for Koralaipattu project

The Office of the Finland Roving Ambassador to Sri Lanka signed an agreement recently to continue funding World Vision Lanka's Local Ecosystem Development for Sustainable Tourism Project in the Batticaloa district.

Producer groups in the area benefitted from livelihood development activities with the support of the Koralaipattu Divisional Secretariat.

The project was first launched in Koralaipattu, Batticaloa in 2014 to empower women and increase their chances for employment and entrepreneurship at grassroots levels. Identifying the greater need to geographically extend the project and to promote rural producer groups, Phase II will include areas such as Vaharai, Kiran, Eravurpattu and Vellavali in Batticaloa District. The batch of trained entrepreneurs numbering around seventy will be increased to nearly 200 in phase two Strengthening and diversifying income generating activities through tourism is a key aim of the project. Thus, the project focuses on women's handicraft production groups in the Batticaloa district.

It supports them through business training, finding market linkages, as well as facilitating access to finance. The trainings included handicraft production methods using natural resources such as coconut shells, sea shells and natural beads.