With the intention of empowering disadvantaged young women in the country, Standard Chartered Sri Lanka has launched the next iteration of Goal, the Goal Accelerator, a three-year employability project, dubbed ‘Sashreeka’ in collaboration with SERVE, the local implementing partner and Women Win, a global multi-dimensional women’s fund.
Funded by a USD600,000 donation from the Standard Chartered Foundation, the ‘Sashreeka’ project aims to benefit 450 young women, aged 18-35 years, from low socio-economic backgrounds living in the Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara districts. The initiative is designed to be inclusive, with 10% of the total target being young women who are differently abled.
The primary goal is to help these disadvantaged young women secure and maintain decent employment or initiate and sustain their own small businesses, ultimately achieving economic independence.
Standard Chartered Sri Lanka’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, Anuk De Silva commented: “We are proud to introduce ‘Sashreeka’, a life-changing project that will create pathways to economic independence for disadvantaged young women in Sri Lanka. Combining leadership development, economic empowerment, sports-based rights and life skills programming, we are confident that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of the participants.”
The project’s holistic approach focuses on addressing multifaceted challenges faced by these young women. It includes tailored interventions, such as vocational training, self-employment opportunities, financial literacy sessions, and personalised coaching and mentorship to support the participants in achieving financial health and independence.
SERVE Executive Director, Sanjeeva de Mel said: “We are excited to embark on this journey with Standard Chartered. ‘Sashreeka’ goes beyond traditional employability programs. It is a significant step in supporting disadvantaged young women in Sri Lanka, providing them with the tools, tailored interventions, and ongoing support needed to achieve economic independence and personal growth, creating a holistic pathway towards a successful future.”
The ‘Sashreeka’ project’s unique incorporation of sports and play serves as a central component, recognising the progressive impact of these activities in developing key transferable skills, building self-confidence, and improving mental health. Each participant will receive a customised Career Acceleration Plan with continuous business development coaching to ensure sustainable progress.
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For further information, please contact:
Anuk De Silva
Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing
Standard Chartered Sri Lanka
Anuk.DeSilva@sc.com
Standard Chartered
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Standard Chartered Sri Lanka
Standard Chartered Bank has been operating in Sri Lanka with a continuous presence of over 130 years making it one of the oldest foreign banks in the country. The Bank has a network of 7 branches across 7 cities. Key business segments include Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth & Retail Banking. For more information, visit sc.com/lk.
Standard Chartered Sri Lanka is a licensed commercial bank supervised and regulated by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, and is rated AAA(lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd.
Standard Chartered Foundation
The Standard Chartered Foundation (SCF) is a charitable organisation that tackles inequality by promoting greater economic inclusion for disadvantaged young people, particularly young women and people with disabilities. Its programmes focus on employability and entrepreneurship, helping young entrepreneurs and jobseekers access the skills, networks, opportunities and support they need to achieve economic power and participation.
Futuremakers by Standard Chartered
Futuremakers by Standard Chartered (Futuremakers) is Standard Chartered Bank’s global youth economic empowerment initiative to tackle inequality and promote greater economic inclusion in the Group’s markets. Futuremakers supports disadvantaged young people, especially women and people with disabilities, to learn, earn, and grow. By 2030, Futuremakers aims to create and sustain 140,000 jobs by enabling young entrepreneurs and jobseekers to achieve economic power and participation. www.sc.com/futuremakers