Training for Income Generation

Small Business Startups Provide Income Generation in Sri Lanka!

In July 2023, Compassion informed supporters of a need in Sri Lanka. Amid an economic crisis, citizens of the country had experienced an increase in desperate poverty. As unemployment and the price of necessities rose, so did malnutrition. Parents simply could not find work and were struggling to feed their children. Supporters like you were presented with an opportunity to alleviate this desperate situation by providing a variety of income-producing education for a group of these caregivers.

Because of the generosity of our donors, we were able to fully fund training programs for 70 parents of sponsored children.

Our Sri Lankan brothers and sisters have a variety of talents and were eager to learn how to support their families by developing their entrepreneurial skills. Program partners met with these parents, identified their current skills, resources and needs, and helped them choose a training program that was a good match for them. Some parents were enrolled in training to learn how to sew and start a tailoring business, while others learned how to breed and milk goats. Still others were taught how to grow a crop with a variety of vegetables and establish their own small grocery shops. Parents were trained how to open various businesses including street food carts, bicycle repair shops and masonry businesses.

The outcomes of this training and guidance have been life-changing. Our Compassion staff in Sri Lanka report:

“Through this intervention we can see an improvement in the economic levels of these selected households. Mothers who started tailoring have received an increased number of sewing orders. Those who received goats have been able to sell the milk. Some were able to buy more goats and expand their business. Those who received hens have sold eggs. Since the local market requirement for eggs grew in the recent past, those households can see a good improvement in their income.

Also our participants in those households were also able to add eggs, milk and fresh vegetables in their family’s daily diet.”

This impact is monumental and sustainable! We are so appreciative of our supporters who gave generously to this intervention, and we ask you to continue to pray for the stability of these small businesses in Sri Lanka.

To read more updates like this, please visit our Impact Reporting page

This large vegetable garden is new to the community. Overseen by parents, it is providing vegetables that families can sell locally and also use to feed their families.	This mother received hens through this intervention and is now earning income by selling eggs.	Given a sewing machine through this intervention, this participant is now using this equipment for a tailoring business.