The Business Development Unit (BDU) of the ADT focuses its initiatives on empowering, equipping and building the lives of underprivileged persons. The BDU primarily supports widows and differently-abled persons from rural areas to be self-sufficient through livelihood initiatives. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, many people lost their means of income. During this period, the BDU introduced a new initiative, ‘We Can’, a home-gardening programme with the aim of creating self-employment ventures amongst the poor, vulnerable and those with disabilities.
Meet Raasarani
Raasarani resides in Mannar, and during the civil war, she lost her sight in one eye due to a head injury she sustained. Following her injury, she and her mother struggled and endured many years of immense hardship, as she was the sole breadwinner of her family.
In 2020, Raasarani became a member of the ‘We Can’ initiative. The BDU supported Raasarani financially to purchase seeds and animal feed, and through this assistance, she is able to earn an income to support her family.