Seed Capital

Money used for the initial investment of a project or startup business, for proof-of-concept, market research, or initial product development is referred to as seed capital.

Over 80% of Sri Lanka’s rural population live in poverty & are dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods.  Due to the tsunami the coastal fishing communities lost their boats & fishing gear and thousands of families in the north & east have also been displaced & lost their means of livelihood due to the civil war.

ADT has supported more than 6000 families under the livelihood - seed capital project by the distribution of livestock, fishing boats, sewing machines, lagoon boats, fishing nets, welding equipment, carpentry equipment, coir making machines etc. In the case of grocery, dry fish trade, vegetable trade, poultry, foot wear, making String Hoppers, Palmyra products, handicrafts & paddy cultivation etc, ADT has provided cash advances to initiate livelihood business.

Poor households, especially those headed by women/widows are encouraged to rear livestock, poultry, goats & pigs  as an alternative source of income. This has lead to improved nutrition, stronger social status, self esteem & empowerment for women. Other home based industries such as bakery items, sweet products, yoghurt & other food products have been implemented as per the resources available in each village.

Tsunami victims and war refugee households have become more involved in identifying priority areas for investment and have already begun to contribute towards the costs involved and to manage capital assets supplied by the project.
Especially women have started small income-generating activities such as making bricks, milling grain and baking bread.