Bhathiya Barukanda
PRESS RELEASE
The national closing event of the Australian Government funded ‘Resilient and Gender Inclusive Economic Systems (RIES)’ project is scheduled to be held at the Gall Face Hotel in Colombo at 9 am on Thursday June 19, 2025 with the presence of the High Commissioner of Australia His Excellency Paul Stephens as the chief Guest.
Initiated by the international NGO Oxfam in 2020 to include the marginalized people in economic development and empower women, the RIES project has benefitted over 7000 farmers and entrepreneurs and improved their production and income. Implemented in 10 districts in the provinces of North, East, Uva, Central and Sabaragamuwa the project conducted training and equipment provision, while introducing new technology and markets for products locally and internationally. The sectors addressed by the project were cinnamon, cocoa, pepper, dairy, and handlooms.
The RIES project’s implementer was DevPro Guarantee Limited, a social enterprise, with several government agencies such as the three Departments: Export Agriculture, Animal Production and Public Health, and Cinnamon Development and the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI).
The event, which includes audio-visual presentations and an exhibition of products is to be attended by the Director Generals of the government agencies involved, foreign embassies and NGOs that support economic empowerment projects, and farmers and entrepreneurs, including women.
