A unique partnership with the corporate sector is helping urban communities in need

Funded by: UN-HABITAT, Lanka Financial Services for Underserved Settlements (LFSUS) and HSBC

This is a pioneering initiate taken by us and two Sri Lankan commercial banks to improve the lives of urban communities in need. The project will provide loans and training to families living in the slum settlements of Colombo to enable them to construct new houses or upgrade existing ones.

This project has provided loans to 35 families living in the Colombo slum settlements of Kirulapura and Siddharthapura. The first round of loans has been distributed and we have been impressed by the commitment and zeal show by the people to the project. Within a month of receiving the money the families had constructed the houses. 20 families living in the slum settlements of Moratuwa have just received their loans.

This unique partnership could provide a sustainable model for the improvement of urban communities across the country and beyond.

We have been working in the Colombo slums since 2005, when, together with HSBC, we implemented a project to provide microcredit to women entrepreneurs to help them build their businesses.

Read the latest news item about the project.