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| Tuesday, 9 March 2004 |
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The Women's Development Federation inaugurated five village banking units today on International Women's Day, in southern Sri Lanka with financial support from the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF). The financing is part of a grant of around US$ 900,000 approved in March of last year and administered by the World Bank to empower vulnerable women of lower income groups in the Southern, Northern and Eastern provinces of the country. Well-known in Sri Lanka as "Janashakthi", the Women's Development Federation, (WDF) is an Non Governmental Organization (NGO), led by women and currently operates 67 community driven banking units. The opening of the five new units in Walasmulla in Southern Province of Sri Lanka, reflects the success WDF has had in promoting women-run social and community-based activities and small village-level sustainable banking through broader partnership. Janashakthi, which in the Sinhala language means "people's strength," has made significant progress in the Southern district of Hambantota, (a climatically harsh zone often subjected to drought) to initiate water tank renovations, training activities and have extended their work to an additional divisional secretariat division. WDF membership of about 30,000 has now increased by about 1700 whit this expansion of activities in Walasmulla. The JSDF grant will help women from the Northern and Eastern provinces to revitalize or establish women's organizations and provide training and grants to set-up income generating activities. It will also provide funds to link North and East with the South enabling sharing of experiences across regions. A first visit of women from the North to the South took place in April 2003. North and East activities are implemented by another NGO called Sewa Lanka which has already initiated social mobilization activities in jaffna, Vavuniya and Trincomalee districts. The project will be implemented over 3 years. The Ministry of Finance is in charge of the project while the National Development Bank assists in the project management functions. World Bank South Asia Region |
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