Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
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IESC drives young entrepreneurs to vital business growth
While a vibrant small business sector is essential to Sri Lanka’s growth and development, entrepreneurship is not always considered to be a promising career path, especially for young Sri Lankans. Before the pandemic, the percentage of enterprises started by youth under 35 in Sri Lanka was only about four percent of all startups.
To inspire and encourage a mass audience of young…
read moreIESC creates sustainable pathways to empower dairy entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka
During a monitoring visit, a dairy farmer from the North Western province shares his experience of transitioning from extensive to intensive management and the benefits of calf separation. Photo credit: DAPH-NWP Media
Located in the nation’s second largest milk producing region, the dairy…
read moreEmpowering Sri Lankan farmers with practical knowledge and best practices in modern dairy farming
Sri Lanka’s ‘hill country,’ the mountainous region in the center of the island, offers the best climatic conditions for dairy farming. But the advantages end there. Small- and medium-scale dairy farmers in the region have access to very little land, and the hilly terrain limits space for proper cattle sheds and fodder cultivation. Many small-…
SRI LANKA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT DAIRY COLLECTOR PARTNERS WITH THE USDA MARKET ORIENTED DAIRY PROJECT TO LEVERAGE SUPPORT FOR MILK SUPPLIERS
In August 2018, Wonrich Dairies, the country’s largest intermediary collector and supplier of…
Improving milk handling processes from farmers to milk chilling centers brings returns to medium-scale dairy processor in Sri Lanka
Chello Dairies began its journey in 1995 as a small-scale domestic enterprise manufacturing ice cream pops. Mr. Kapila Ruwan Bandara, a young entrepreneur and the company’s founder, had a mission: to provide consumers with superior taste and quality at an affordable price. Through hard work and a focus on…
ONLINE VIDEO CAMPAIGN ENCOURAGES YOUTH TO MAKE PROACTIVE EDUCATION AND CAREER CHOICES
Geography, economic class, poor access to information, and cultural or parental preferences, frequently combined, leave youth in Sri Lanka with little independent choice in their educational or career paths. As a result, they are in the habit of passively accepting the career outcome that unfolds for them based on their environment and circumstances. To…
Although the Government of Sri Lanka responded swiftly and decisively to the COVID-19 pandemic, minimizing the spread of the virus in the country, the 24-hour curfews and restrictions on gatherings made in-person trainings and educational sessions impossible. In response to this challenge, USAID’s youth skills development and entrepreneurship project, YouLead, catalyzed private sector collaborations to rapidly expand its outreach to youth…
read moreIn 2018, the USAID-funded YouLead Project supported the creation of a Tourism Skills Committee (TSC). The TSC is a private-sector collaboration devoted to developing Sri Lanka’s tourism workforce to support the tourism industry and the country’s growth as a world class tourist destination. It has proven to be a proactive, professional advocate for the tourism industry, ready to respond to a range of challenges.
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read moreMarket-Oriented Dairy (MOD) Project Creates a Paradigm Shift, Teaching Dairy Farmers to Unlearn and Relearn
Mr. Rohitha Edirisinghe, a dairy farmer from Naththandiya who supplies a chilling center in Kurunegala district, received his first cow as a gift from his mother-in-law eighteen years ago. When he was introduced to MOD’s Productivity Director Dr. Sivayoganathan and Regional Technical Specialist Mr. Kapila Wickramasinghe, he had a…
Haoua Cheick Seip, IESC volunteer expert, on assignment in Ampara, Sri Lanka, in 2011.
When Women Help Women, Entrepreneurs Thrive
By Marissa Germain
Women in West African cultures’some of which are historically matrilineal’hold positions of respect and strength. As the providers of shelter, food, wisdom, and comfort, they have often been called to firmly hold their communities together in the face of conflict and…
read moreA seasoned expert helps Sri Lanka’s cinnamon industry
Sri Lanka produces some of the highest regarded cinnamon in the world. This smallholder crop packs quite a punch. Ceylon cinnamon, which comes from a tree native to Sri Lanka, has been shown to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes without the risk of liver damage, which can occur with high doses of the related cassia cinnamon that is often sold in grocery stores. Ceylon cinnamon also…
After years of civil war, Sri Lanka’s economy was struggling. The Facilitating Economic Growth Program (2009-2014) launched very soon after the war to revitalize Sri Lanka’s post-conflict economy through rapid, targeted technical assistance to businesses, industries, and business-related government agencies. IESC fielded a mix of consultants and volunteer experts on short-term assignments to the country. The program was funded by USAID…
read moreHaoua Cheick Seip (right) worked with women weavers in Sri Lanka
Five-time volunteer Haoua Cheick Seip assists war widows in Sri Lanka
Haoua Cheick Seip is the founder of Africa Creations, a wholesaler of handmade African products with a mission to help women artisans achieve economic independence and preserve cultural heritage through creation and sale of traditional crafts. As a consultant and entrepreneur, she has linked…