In the face of hardship, resilience often shines the brightest. For Chamila Weerasingha of Sri Lanka, this resilience took the form of creativity, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to her family’s well-being.
Chamila began her small food business to supplement her family’s income. For a time, things were going well—until the COVID-19 pandemic struck. With lockdowns keeping people indoors, her sales slowed dramatically. Undeterred, Chamila adapted by venturing into vegetable sales. Unfortunately, heavy rains ruined her produce, forcing her to look for another way forward.
Refusing to give up, Chamila tried again, this time selling manioc, pineapples, and dry fish by the roadside using a leased car. Her determination paid off. The business began to thrive, providing enough income to support her children’s education and cover household expenses.
Today, Chamila stands as a testament to the strength and perseverance of rural entrepreneurs. She is one of the many beneficiaries of the ARISE-Farmers program in Sri Lanka, which empowers smallholder farmers and rural families to build resilient livelihoods in the face of crisis.
The Assuring Resiliency of Family Farmers (ARISE-Farmers) program was first launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to empower farmers’ groups to meet their members’ needs and ensure food security during the crisis. The succeeding phase of the program continues its mission to help family farmers become more resilient and self-reliant. It focuses on strengthening the capacities of farmers’ organizations (FOs) to manage production support for their members while expanding partnerships with governments, private sector actors, and financial institutions. Through this approach, ARISE addresses the persistent financing gap and helps smallholder farmers gain better access to markets.
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