In an effort create social security among Lanka Plus members who are unemployed, Lanka Plus partnered with the International Labour Organization to provide small business grants to selected members who were interested in commencing their own business. The project was initiated in May 2013 where interested members were called for interviews and eligible ones selected.
Next, the chosen members were provided training on starting their business from drafting business plans to seeking funding. Afterwards, they were asked to submit business proposals which were then evaluated by an expert panel at the ILO. After any required changes were made to the business plans, the recipients were given seed funding and the required equipment to commence their ventures. The resources were provided in three phases in 2014.
The members are expected to pay back the loan to the organization where it will continue to persist as a revolving fund for any member who will want to start their own business in the future.
Many participants were quite successful with their ventures are have set a good precedent to other members who can follow it.
