Ambassador in Kilinochchi

Roundtable talk with the US ambassador hosted by ZOA in Kilinochchi last week

A new 3,000,000 rupee grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide the means for five local organizations to continue their work with the disabled in the Northern and Eastern provinces, increasing incomes for approximately 1,200 disabled people and raising public awareness on disability rights and social inclusion in these areas.

Through the grant, USAID and its implementing partner ZOA will train the local organizations to develop livelihood assistance packages and create small-scale income-generation projects for disabled individuals in the target areas. As part of this effort, the local organizations will help disabled individuals develop business plans; the best plans will receive small grants as business start-up capital. Grant activities will also link disabled people with other development activities in their regions, including those of USAID and other donors.