Projects in Kudawella and Tangalle 

Business Roundtable

We are working with local entrepreneurs in the tsunami-affected village of Kudawella to establish a business association with ties to the national and local chambers of commerce, financial institutions, and the industrial development board.  The purpose of the association is to support new entrepreneurs through the exchange of ideas and resources both locally and nationally. 

Bakery

We are helping two local bakers whose business is non-operational after the tsunami to expand and modernize their bakery.  We are exploring new markets, product lines, and technologies and are developing plans to expand the physical space of the bakery.  We are also working with the entrepreneurs to facilitate funding from a local bank and NGO. 

Seed Capital Fund

We are working to secure funding from donors in Singapore to establish a seed capital fund to support new businesses in Tangalle.

Gift Cards

We are working to establish marketing linkages for gift cards that are handmade by disabled artisans.  We are investigating relationships with online wedding planning companies and high-end shops in New York.

Tourism

We are developing a strategy to expand tourism around a natural phenomenon in Kudawella called the blowhole.  (A blowhole is a spout of water which shoots out of a natural chimney in the rock as the ocean waves hit the rocks.  The blowhole in Kudawella is one of seven in the world.)   We are preparing a set of short, medium, and long-term recommendations of steps to take to implement the strategy, and hope to link our recommendations with the business roundtable in Kudawella. 

Laundromat

We are assessing the feasibility of establishing a laundromat in the town of Tangalle which will cater to local businesses and consumers and serve as a source of employment for the area.  We are working with students and faculty members of Ruhuna University to conduct market research and are visiting laundromats in Colombo and Bentota to learn about operations and costs.

Assistance to Navajeevana

We have assisted our host NGO in developing new marketing materials and have written five grant proposals on its behalf to Dilmah (a national tea company), NGOs, and USAID for tsunami rehabilitation projects in the Tangalle area.