Empowering Home-Based Women Entrepreneurs through Access to Finance and Skills
Contributed by Sahana Social Development Alliance
Background
Sahana Social Development Alliance (SSDA) has been implementing a range of programmes and initiatives to support and empower home-based workers, women, and girls across the Galle and Matara Districts. Over the past period, SSDA has worked with approximately 453 home-based workers, responding to their diverse economic and social needs and creating opportunities for women to strengthen their livelihoods and improve their household income.
Through these initiatives, SSDA has focused on supporting women who wish to start or strengthen income-generating activities from their homes by providing access to finance, skills development, awareness, and community-level support.
Impact Story – “Diviyata Sawayak” (Strength for Life) Interest-Free Loan Scheme
One of the key initiatives was implemented in the Matara District, focusing on women who were interested in starting home-based income-generating activities.
Under the “Diviyata Sawayak” (Strength for Life) interest-free loan scheme, interest-free financial assistance was provided to 24 women entrepreneurs who were planning to start their own businesses. Each woman received Rs. 25,000, which enabled them to invest in the initial requirements of their selected livelihood enterprise.
The financial support provided to these women assists them in developing their enterprises from their homes, supporting their livelihoods through home-based work, and providing a valuable opportunity to transform their skills and business ideas into viable income-generating activities. With this assistance, they have successfully established and begun managing their own small businesses, which has enabled them to earn a more sustainable income through their skills, hard work, and entrepreneurial efforts.
This initiative has contributed significantly not only to increased household income but also to greater confidence, independence, and economic empowerment among the participating women. With access to appropriate financial support, combined with their determination, commitment, and entrepreneurial spirit, these women have transformed their skills and ideas into meaningful livelihood opportunities. Their achievements demonstrate the strength, resilience, and potential of women to become economically independent, support their families, and play a more active and influential role in their communities. They have shown that, as home-based workers, they can build when women are given the right opportunities and support, they can overcome challenges, build sustainable livelihoods, and emerge as strong and empowered contributors to society.
Awareness and Advocacy – Galle District
In the Galle District, SSDA also implemented community-level awareness programmes for women entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs. These programmes focused on the importance of using loans responsibly and investing borrowed funds appropriately in their businesses.
Women were encouraged to use the loans for productive business purposes, manage their investments carefully, generate profits, and gradually develop their businesses. The awareness sessions aimed to strengthen women's understanding of financial responsibility and sustainable entrepreneurship.
As part of the advocacy and awareness activities, members of the SSDA Youth Alliance conducted street theatre performances across the Galle District. Through creative and community-friendly performances, the young people demonstrated how women can use loans appropriately, invest in their businesses, and work towards improving their livelihoods.
The use of street theatre helped communicate important messages in an accessible and engaging way, particularly at community level, while encouraging discussion around women's economic empowerment and responsible financial management.
Skills Development for Women and Girls
In addition to financial assistance and awareness programmes, SSDA implemented skills development and vocational training opportunities for women interested in starting self-employment activities.
Training programmes were conducted on:
- Doll making
- Slipper production
- Food production and related income-generating activities
These training programmes were designed to provide women with practical skills that could be converted into home-based businesses and sustainable sources of income.
By combining financial assistance, skills development, awareness, and community-level advocacy, SSDA has created a more comprehensive approach to supporting women and home-based workers.
Overall Impact
The initiatives implemented by SSDA across Galle and Matara have demonstrated the importance of providing women with opportunities to access finance, develop practical skills, and receive continuous guidance.
The experience of the 24 women supported through the “Diviyata Saviyak” Loan Scheme demonstrates how relatively small amounts of interest-free financial assistance can make a meaningful difference in enabling women entrepreneurs to start or strengthen their own businesses and generate income. The community awareness and advocacy activities conducted in Galle further supported this effort by promoting the responsible use of financial resources and strengthening women’s entrepreneurial knowledge, confidence, and capacity. The successful implementation of the programme was further strengthened through close collaboration with relevant government authorities and local government stakeholders, whose support and coordination played an important role in ensuring that the programme effectively reached and benefited women in the community.
These initiatives have helped women move towards greater economic independence, confidence, and empowerment, while also contributing to stronger household livelihoods.
SSDA will continue to support home-based workers, women, and girls through livelihood development, skills training, awareness, advocacy, and other initiatives that create opportunities for sustainable economic empowerment.