RAWCS Project 22-2022-23, Empowering Women in Pamunugama Area Sri Lanka (RAOAF) – Tissa Perera
Pamunugama is a coastal Sri Lankan town where most residents live below the poverty line. Traditional fishermen lost their livelihoods to large trawlers, and limited local employment has driven family breakdown, leaving many single mothers struggling. The Rotary Club of Pamunugama launched a project to help women establish cottage industries, supported financially through a RAWCS project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Liverpool West.
Starting in 2022, eight women were selected and trained in greenhouse vegetable cultivation. Sri Lanka’s financial crisis delayed construction and doubled costs, while adverse weather damaged early harvests, requiring design improvements. The project later expanded to 22 more families, with alternatives offered — six chose chicken coops and two received food carts. By 2024, all 30 families were earning supplementary income from vegetables, eggs, and prepared food. Participants are encouraged to reinvest profits to sustain their enterprises. The Rotary Club is now exploring further opportunities, including sewing, with demand exceeding current funding capacity.