Date: July 2022
Location: Monaragala District, Sri Lanka
Overview
To empower rural women economically, MPF rolled out a six-month micro-enterprise incubator for 60 participants across four Gramaseva divisions—blending business fundamentals, digital marketing skills, seed funding, and mentorship.
The Challenge
Limited income streams: Most women relied on subsistence farming or casual labor.
Low digital literacy: Few knew how to leverage online platforms to sell goods.
Capital constraints: No access to affordable start-up loans.
Our Approach
Business & Digital Curriculum
Delivered 48 hours of classroom and hands-on training on accounting, pricing, social-media marketing, and e-commerce platform setup.
Seed Grants & Mentoring
Issued Rs. 50,000 micro-grants per participant group.
Paired each entrepreneur with a volunteer mentor from Colombo’s startup ecosystem for biweekly check-ins.
Market Linkages
Organized two pop-up bazaars in Monaragala town, drawing 1,500+ visitors each.
Created a shared WhatsApp channel and simple web portal to drive online orders and logistics.
Implementation Highlights
Curriculum co-developed with University of Ruhuna’s business faculty.
Partnerships with local micro-finance institutions enabled low-interest follow-on loans (1.5% monthly).
Monthly peer forums fostered problem-solving and collective marketing campaigns.
Results
85% of graduates launched viable home-based enterprises within two months.
Average additional household income: Rs. 15,000/day.
30% of participants expanded to national e-commerce platforms, increasing sales reach by 4×.
“This program didn’t just teach me skills—it gave me the confidence to grow my handloom business and hire help.”
— Program Graduate, Siyambalanduwa