Date: April 2025
Location: Monaragala & Hambantota Districts, Sri Lanka
Overview
MPF’s Poverty Alleviation team has rolled out a smartphone-based micro-finance app bundled with an e-marketplace, enabling women’s co-operatives to access small loans, digital payments, and direct-to-consumer sales channels.
The Challenge
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Credit constraints: Rural women lack collateral and face prohibitive interest rates.
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Market isolation: Artisans and food producers rely on middlemen who capture most margin.
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Digital divide: Low digital literacy and intermittent mobile connectivity.
Our Approach
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App Development & Pilot Launch
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Created an Android app with group-lending workflows, biometric login, and mobile-money integration.
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Co-op Onboarding & Training
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Trained 150 women across 10 co-ops on app usage, digital catalog creation, and basic smartphone skills.
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Marketplace & Logistics
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Partnered with two logistics providers to offer door-to-door delivery and reverse pick-up for returns.
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Implementation Highlights
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Beta launch in 10 Grama Niladhari divisions, with offline caching for low-coverage zones.
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Biometric KYC integrations reduced onboarding time from 3 days to under 30 minutes.
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In-app chat connects co-op members with MPF support agents in real time.
Progress to Date
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Rs. 1.2 million disbursed in 75 group loans, averaging Rs. 16,000 each.
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80% of orders fulfilled through the in-app marketplace; average basket size Rs. 1,100.
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Digital transaction adoption rate at 65% among active members.
Expected Outcomes
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Scale to 500 women and Rs. 10 million loan disbursements by year-end.
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Expand marketplace to 50 product categories, including agro-produce and handicrafts.
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Integrate with national e-commerce platforms for broader reach.
“With this app, I can grow my spice business online—and my group no longer worries about high loan rates.”
— Ms. Fernando, President, Siyambalanduwa Women’s Co-op