Outreach Projects empowers 87,000+ beneficiaries island-wide through purpose-led community initiatives

Saturday, 21 January 2023 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

33,000+ beneficiaries supported through organic home gardening initiative, SADP
27,000 rural residents provided access to clean drinking water through 9 RO plants
1,000 budding entrepreneurs empowered through skills-based vocational training
26,000+ beneficiaries across other community initiatives

Outreach Projects (Guarantee) Ltd., an independent non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering local communities through purpose-led initiatives, continued its commitments and positively impacted over 87,000 beneficiaries island-wide as at year-end 2022.

The calendar year saw Outreach Projects roll out a total of 170 projects in line with its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) roadmap. The company’s flagship CSI initiative, Sustainable Agricultural Development Program (SADP), aimed at supporting economically vulnerable families achieve food security through organic home gardening and animal husbandry, impacted a total of 33,000 beneficiaries up to 2022.

The program was extended across Gampola, Walasmulla, Weligepola, Pilana, Bibile, Weligama, Thalawa, Agunukolapelessa, Dambulla, Hambantota, Matara and Kundasale, providing sustainable livelihoods to communities in these areas.

Outreach Projects also continued to support the nation’s combat against Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) through the ‘Suwa Jeewana’ initiative, by commissioning nine Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purification systems in remote communities. As a result, 27,000 residents across 6,750 families in Diyawinna, Welipathayaya, Aukana, Attanakadawela, Nikapitiya, Bakamuna, Kottapitiya, Baduluoya, and Meegellawa areas were facilitated access to clean drinking water during the year.

Outreach Projects (Guarantee) Ltd. Chief Operating Officer Senaka De Fonseka stated: “Since 2006, we have been on a mission to empower vulnerable communities achieve self-sustainability on many fronts.

“From aligning our projects with social issues that are identified as national priorities, to engaging with communities at the ground level to provide sustainable solutions, we are mindful of the critical role we play in uplifting lives and livelihoods of the socioeconomically challenged in Sri Lanka.”

He added: “With the recent addition of ‘Viyawasayakaya’, an initiative to provide skills-based vocational training scholarships in partnership with the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) and the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) of Sri Lanka, we are empowering 1,000 budding entrepreneurs pursue high demand vocations with a qualification.

“We believe this will also contribute towards alleviating the burden on the national economy and bring in much-needed revenue to Sri Lanka at this critical juncture.”