Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL), a youth entrepreneur assistance programme at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, has provided loans to the value of Rs 250,000 to women entrepreneurs in Kandy to start and expand their business, a spokesman for the YBSL said.
Organized and coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Central Province, 10 women who have been trained under the GAP skill development programme received these loans, last week, according to a YBSL statement.
 As a corporate social responsibility initiative of the international apparel company, GAP Inc, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is implementing a skill development programme in the districts of Kandy and Galle together with the respective district chambers. The GAP programme targets the immediate women family members of the GAP employees in the Kandy District and provides them with a comprehensive skill development and exposure on a chosen trade. The CCC, so far has conducted over thirty five such programmes and trained over four hundred women in both the districts.
The YBSL programme supports enterprising youth who has a viable business plan, aged between 18-35 years, but do not have collateral to raise funds; through a concessionary credit facility for business start up and expansion.
The initial credit assistance is limited to Rs 50,000 and to be paid back in 12 months. The specialties of the YBSL credit programme are that the loans are given based on the viability of the proposed business. In addition, the enterprising youth is linked to an experienced business person as a mentor.
Chief guest at the event, W. Weeraratne of Bake House fame, and also the founder chairman of the Kandy Chamber, said that the women beneficiaries who received the financial assistance today should think they are fortunate, since if they started businesses in the earlier days there was nobody to help. Developing self confidence, and the desire to excel in whatever the work they do are very important to succeed, he further added. |
E-mail
