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Matara: Women Back in Business

Aid Sri Lanka is helping women entrepreneurs in tsunami affected Matara get back to work.

At a ceremony in May, women entrepreneurs in Matara were provided with the materials necessary to restart their businesses. Monitoring and evaluation visits have now been carried out with each beneficiary to ensure that they are back in business and to identify any training or further support which may be required. Operations Manager Claire participated in a number of these field visits to see first hand the effects of the project.

String Hoppers

Sixty ladies were provided with equipment for making string hoppers, a rice noodle which is a breakfast and dinner staple. The evaluations reveal that not only are the ladies back in business, but because the equipment we provided was superior to what they lost, the majority are producing more hoppers and therefore earning more money than before the tsunami. This extra money is helping to replace other items lost to the sea, rebuild damaged property and cushion against the loss of income from other family members.

Seyada Sali explained that her old steamer held 50 hoppers at a time, whereas the new one holds 85. Combined with the increased performance of the new gas stove over the old wood burning one she now sells 1000 hoppers every morning and earns 5000Rs pcm. This increased income is particularly welcome as her husband was paralysed in the tsunami, leaving her the sole breadwinner.

The joy and appreciation expressed by each of the hopper ladies we visited was extremely touching. Each was keen to show the equipment in use and it was fascinating to see the mixture prepared, then squeezed through the press on to the little trays before being stacked in the steamer. A number of ladies also provided the tasty noodle snack which was much appreciated.

Bridal Preparation

Twenty women were presented sets of equipment necessary for the preparation of a bride for her big day and for regular beauty treatments. Packs included make-up, hairdryers, facial steamers, saris, bouquets and an assortment of creams and lotions.

The women are back in business and delighted to be earning money again. However, many of them are finding business slow. Many of their salons were destroyed or damaged in the tsunami so they have relocated either temporarily or permanently and their clients may not be aware of their location. Each of the ladies has been provided with a large sign which has gone some way to alleviate this problem. However, business is inevitably going to be slower as the whole community has been affected by the tsunami and the majority of their regular clients are experiencing economic hardship and have less disposable income for beauty treatments. The ladies remain positive that it is just a matter of time before their earnings return to pre-tsunami levels and they are eager to undertake the training in new beauty technology, hair cutting, book keeping and salon management which are offered. Local partner, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce is using contacts to supply experts for these sessions. Through training we hope that these businesses are not simply put back on track but facilitated to grow above and beyond where they were before the wave hit.

The ladies were delighted to have the chance to be able to say thank you for the support provided by your funds and to demonstrate what a real impact it has had on their lives and their families. On behalf of the women of Matara, thank you for your donations.

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