1. Savings-Led Microfinancefor Indian Tamil Women in Sri Lanka:Planting For Your Future Presented by: Tseli Mohammed Kristin Musser ArjunaPremachandra Sebastian Saronge Nathan Tiller

2. Country Profile Population: 21.3 million. Ethnic groups (2002): Sinhalese (74%), Tamils (18% Sri Lankan Tamils 12.9% & Indian Tamils 5.1%), Muslim (7%), Other (1%) Religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, & Christianity Languages: Sinhala and Tamil (official), English Education: Compulsory up to age 14. Primary school attendance: 96.5%. Literacy: 91% Health:Infant mortality rate:18.57/1,000; Life expectancy: 73 yrs. (M) & 77 yrs. (F) Work force: 7.6 Million (excluding northern provinces) Currency: Sri Lanka Rupees (SLR) 1

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4. Background 2 Major Groups: Sri Lankan Tamils & Indian Tamils 19th Century: Indian Tamils brought to work plantations 1948: Independence, Indian Tamils considered stateless 2000: 30,000 Indian Tamils stateless Currently: 90% granted citizenship, 30,000 stateless Indian Tamils 350,000 Indian Tamil plantation workers 70% are women Wage: 450 SLR/day ($4.08/day) 3

5. Central Province (tea & rubber plantations) “We are so poorly paid that I cannot afford to feed my children properly or give them a proper education” ~ Woman Tea Worker* Population (2001): 2,420,000 Indian Tamils (19.9%): 467, 060 Women (51%): 239, 322 Women 16-64 (67%): 160,345 5-Yr Project Target (25%): 40,086 4 *BBC News: Hardships of Sri Lanka’s Indian Tamils. Retrieved from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/903606.stm

6. "They face little prospect of finding work except on the tea estates… It has become a kind of vicious circle. Generation after generation of Tamils of Indian origin in Sri Lanka work on the estates and, in so doing, condemn themselves to a life of financial hardship.”* 5 *BBC News: Hardships of Sri Lanka’s Indian Tamils. Retrieved from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/903606.stm

7. Feasibility: Characteristics Plantation workers account for 30% of population below poverty line Working plantations for generations Workers lack power and autonomy over labor Sociocultural isolation, stigma, discrimination 6

8. Feasibility: Competitors Cell phone banking Convenient Charge fees Do not provide social capital MFIs already in region Majority are micro-credit Used for consumption, rather than sustainable business purposes Traditional Banking systems Not designed for poor 7

9. Major Challenges Sociocultural Issues – exclusion Plantation owners – labor laws Politics/Bureaucracy – disconnect Funding – start up resources, sustainability Scalability – management issues 8

10. Potential Partnerships Hatton Women’s Committee Women empowerment Education and leadership training Women’s Liberation Movement of Sri Lanka Women’s Rights Centre for Women’s Research Empowerment towards “non-traditional” employment opportunities Ceylon Planters Society Labor union Political Party 9

11. Potential Funding Sources Ford foundation ($180,000) American Jewish World Services ($50,000) MacArthur Foundation ($250,000) Expected Operating Budget for 5-Yr Project: $206,740 10

12. 11 Project 5 Year Overview

13. Budget Overview 12

14. Expected Outcomes 13

15. Potential Expansion Programs Empowerment to demand better working conditions and wages Vocational training for women and young adults in communities. Negotiation skills and knowledge of rights Gain partnership with legal council/aid 14

16. 15 Thank You!Questions?

17. Extra Budget Info 16