We are part of a unique international network.

Established in 1981, with support from Canadian International Development Agency, SAPSRI is a part of an international SAP chain that includes partners in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Canada. The international coordinating body, SAP International, is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

In our early years, we acted primarily as an intermediary between community-based organizations and donor agencies. In 1992, we focused our efforts on long-term development by introducing the Cluster Development Program, which forms the core of SAPSRI programmes today. The Cluster Development Programme is a people-centred development model that links groups with shared concerns into self-reliant communities.

Key milestones:
• January 1981: SAPSRI established with support from the Canadian International Development Agency.
• 1992: Cluster Development Program introduced, which forms the core of SAPSRI current programs.
• 1996: Small and Medium Enterprise Development program developed and implemented to economically empower villagers.
• 1996: Corporate sector mobilized to secure effective corporate participation in rural development projects.
• 1999: Multi-stakeholders group approach initiated, which is based on the involvement of government and the corporate sector community development.
• 2000: SAPSRI expanded its remit to include advocacy, with a particular focus on democratic governance, to our remit.
• 2004: Media personnel added to SAPSRI’s multi-stakeholders group, increasing media coverage and raising the profile of SAPSRI.
• 2004: Change Agent Program developed and implemented. This helped build a strong women’s movement by identifying and training female catalysts.
• December 2004: SAPSRI’s programmes extended to tsunami-affected areas.
• August 2005: Beeralu lace project launched – the first in a number of projects that revived traditional crafts to help build secure livelihoods.
• 2006: Micro-credit program extended to the urban low-income population in the slum areas of Colombo.
• 2008: Focus shifts to the young people of Sri Lanka with the implementation of the ‘youth as agents of change’ programme.