OPEnE Sri Lanka

08/06/2026

Empowering Women, Transforming Communities 💪🌿

Begam joined the Al Hikma Self-Help Group in 2022 with a desire to improve her livelihood and create a better future for her family. Through her involvement in the group, she developed the confidence and motivation to start her own small business.

Today, Begam creates and sells handmade craft products through online platforms and local markets. What began with making and selling a few products to schools gradually grew into a promising enterprise. To expand her business, she accessed a small loan of LKR 5,000 through her Self-Help Group, which helped her take the first steps towards reaching wider markets.

With the support of OPEnE, Begam was connected to other organizations, received valuable training opportunities, and gained access to financial assistance. She also learned about the importance of business registration and successfully registered her business within a month with guidance from the project team.

Today, her business generates an income of approximately LKR 10,000 per week. She has secured new market opportunities, including participation in trade fairs organized by the Mannar District Secretariat. This additional income has strengthened her household economy and improved her family's quality of life.

“Being able to earn an income has brought positive changes to our family and given me a happier life,” says Begam with pride.

Stories like Begam’s remind us that when women are provided with opportunities, skills, and support, they become powerful agents of change within their families and communities.

11/05/2026

Empowering communities through skills that matter! 🌊🦈

A workshop on the seafood value chain, focusing on post-harvest practices and value addition, was held on 20.03.2026 at the Ocean University of Sri Lanka – Regional Centre, Jaffna. The session brought together committed community trainers supported by OPEnE.

During this hands-on session, participants learned to prepare a variety of fisheries-based value-added products, including fish pickle, seaweed jelly (Kappaphycus), fish jaadi, cuttlefish chutney, prawn pakkoda, and ambul thiyal. The training emphasised hygienic handling, food safety, and step-by-step processing techniques, which ensured both quality and sustainability.

This workshop builds on earlier training provided through OPEnE’s livelihood initiatives, strengthening trainers’ technical knowledge and empowering them to share these valuable skills within their communities. 💪🏽

By promoting value addition and knowledge sharing, we continue to support sustainable livelihoods and community resilience.

08/04/2026

🌊🐢Tiny Travelers Begin Their Journey: A Special Sea Turtle Moment at Pesalai Beach
On 5th April 2026, around 5.55 PM, visitors at Pesalai Beach Park were fortunate to witness a truly magical moment of nature. From beneath the warm sand, tiny sea turtle hatchlings began to emerge and slowly make their first journey toward the vast ocean.

This beautiful and rare sight was captured and shared by Pesalai youth Stephan Jenistan Coonghe, allowing more people to appreciate this special event. What made the moment even more inspiring was the care and awareness shown by the people present at the beach, who ensured that the hatchlings were not disturbed and safely guided towards the sea.

Sea turtles are incredible marine animals with an amazing life cycle. After growing in the ocean for many years, adult turtles return to the very same beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. Because of this unique behaviour, beaches like Pesalai are extremely important nesting grounds that must be protected.

Beyond their beauty, sea turtles also play a vital role in maintaining the health and balance of marine ecosystems. By feeding on jellyfish, they help control jellyfish populations, which supports healthier fish stocks and contributes to the stability of the ocean environment.

Unfortunately, sea turtle populations around the world are declining due to threats such as plastic pollution, disturbance on nesting beaches, artificial lights at night, and accidental capture in fishing gear. Protecting nesting sites and allowing hatchlings to reach the ocean safely are small actions that make a big difference for their survival.

Moments like this remind us that our beaches are not just places for recreation — they are also homes and nurseries for precious marine life.

Let us all work together to keep our beaches clean, respect wildlife, and protect these tiny travellers as they begin their journey into the ocean.💪🌊

06/04/2026

OPEnE invites enthusiastic, experienced, and motivated candidates to apply for the following positions. Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications, skills, and experience are strongly encouraged to apply. The selection process will be competitive and may include competency-based interviews and a written assessment.

For further details, please review the attached Job Descriptions (JD) by clicking the Apply button.

Agriculture Specialist
https://openesrilanka.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JD-for-Agriculture-Specialist.pdf

Aquaculture Specialist
https://openesrilanka.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JD-for-Aquaculture-Specialist.pdf

27/03/2026

🌊🌿Community initiative to protect marine resources

With the active leadership of local fishermen’s associations and community members, awareness display boards have been installed along the coastal areas of Manthai West Divisional Secretariat to promote the protection and sustainable use of marine resources. This initiative is community-driven, with support from OPEnE.

The boards have been set up in seven fishing villages: Pappamottai, Vidathaltheevu, Kathazhampiddy, Moondrampiddy, Anthoniyarpuram, Iluppaikkadavai, and Thevanpiddy.

These display boards include visual messages and illustrations highlighting the importance of protecting mangrove ecosystems, conserving marine resources, and reducing plastic usage to safeguard the coastal environment. Installed along key coastal locations, they are clearly visible to fishermen heading out to sea each day, as well as to community members, children, and school students.

This effort aims to strengthen community awareness about the importance of protecting marine ecosystems and ensuring the sustainability of marine resources for future generations.

26/03/2026

Community Market Initiative – Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

On 16th and 19th February 2026, community market activities were successfully conducted in the villages of Adampan and Sannar. Women entrepreneurs from local self-help groups actively participated by showcasing and selling a variety of products, including fresh vegetables, juices, sweet items, palmyrah-based products, handicrafts, and other locally produced goods. In Adampan, 8 women from 4 Self Help Groups took part, while in Sannar, 30 women from 6 Self Help Groups participated in the market.

This initiative aimed to promote locally produced goods, improve household livelihoods, strengthen market linkages, and encourage business expansion among women entrepreneurs. As a result, participants gained increased access to new market opportunities, built stronger connections with local stakeholders, enhanced their skills in pricing and product marketing, and developed greater confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities.💪🌿

18/03/2026

🌊 Technical training program for CBEM monitors

We are pleased to share the successful completion of a two-day technical training program for Community-Based Environmental Monitoring (CBEM) monitors, held on 21st and 22nd February 2026 across the coastal villages of Konnayankudiyerupu, Pesalai, Erukkalampiddy, and Vidaththaltheevu.

The program aimed to strengthen community capacity in environmental monitoring by equipping participants with practical skills in handling monitoring equipment, collecting field samples, and identifying environmental concerns at the local level. Through this initiative, CBEM monitors are now better prepared to contribute to pollution detection, environmental conservation, and the protection of coastal resources within their own communities.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Assistant Director of Ocean University of Sri Lanka for delivering expert guidance on measuring environmental parameters, identifying pollution sources in coastal ecosystems, and effectively using water quality testing instruments.

Hands-on field sessions conducted in each village provided participants with valuable real-world experience, enhancing their confidence and technical understanding.

This initiative marks a significant step toward promoting community-led environmental stewardship and advancing sustainable coastal management in Sri Lanka.

🌊 CBEM கண்காணிப்பாளர்களுக்கான தொழில்நுட்ப பயிற்சி

சமூக அடிப்படையிலான சுற்றுச்சூழல் கண்காணிப்பு (CBEM) திட்டத்தின் மூலம் சுற்றுச்சூழல் கண்காணிப்பாளர்களுக்காக 2026 மாசி மாதம் 21 மற்றும் 22 ஆம் திகதிகளில் கென்னையன் குடியிருப்பு, பேசாலை, எருக்கலம்பிட்டி மற்றும் விடத்தல்தீவு போன்ற கரையோர கிராமங்களில் நடைபெற்ற இரு நாள் தொழில்நுட்ப பயிற்சி திட்டம் வெற்றிகரமாக நிறைவடைந்ததை மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் பகிர்ந்து கொள்கிறோம்.

இந்த பயிற்சி திட்டத்தின் நோக்கம், சுற்றுச்சூழல் கண்காணிப்பில் சமூகத்தின் திறனை மேம்படுத்துவது ஆகும். சுற்றுச்சூழல் கண்காணிப்பிற்காக பயன்படுத்தப்படும் தொழில்நுட்ப உபகரணங்களை கையாளுதல், பரிசோதனை மாதிரிகளை சேகரித்தல், மற்றும் உள்ளூர் சுற்றுச்சூழல் பிரச்சினைகளை அடையாளம் காணுதல் போன்ற செயன்முறை திறன்கள் பயிற்சியாளர்களுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்டன. இந்த முயற்சியின் மூலம், CBEM கண்காணிப்பாளர்கள் தற்போது சூழலை மாசடைய செய்யும் மூலங்களை கண்டறிதல், சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதுகாப்பு, மற்றும் கரையோர வளங்களின் பாதுகாப்பு போன்ற செயற்பாடுகளில் ஆர்வமாக ஈடுபட தயாராக உள்ளனர்.

சுற்றுச்சூழல் தொடர்பான மூலக்கூறுகளை விஞ்ஞான ரீதியாக அளவிடுதல், கரையோர சூழலில் மாசுபாட்டை ஏற்படுத்தும் மூலங்களை அடையாளம் காணுதல், மற்றும் நீரின் தரத்தை பரிசோதிக்கும் தொழில்நுட்ப கருவிகளை திறம்பட பயன்படுத்துதல் குறித்து சிறந்த வழிகாட்டுதலை வழங்கிய இலங்கை சமுத்திர பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் உதவி பணிப்பாளர் அவர்களுக்கு எங்களின் மனமார்ந்த நன்றியை தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறோம்.

ஒவ்வொரு கிராமத்திலும் நடைபெற்ற களப்பயிற்சி, சுற்றுச்சூழல் கண்காணிப்பாளர்களுக்கு பிரயோக ரீதியான அனுபவத்தை வழங்கி, அவர்களின் நம்பிக்கையையும் தொழில்நுட்ப அறிவையும் மேலும் மேம்படுத்தின.

இந்த முயற்சி, சமூகத்தால் முன்னெடுக்கப்படும் சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதுகாப்பு செயற்பாட்டை மேலும் வலுப்படுத்துதியதோடு, இலங்கையில் நிலையான கரையோர முகாமைத்துவத்தை மேம்படுத்துவதில் ஒரு முக்கியமான மைல்கல் ஆகவும் அமைந்துள்ளது.

16/03/2026

05/03/2026

Technical field training on water quality parameters-Salinity and density measurement

A Technical field training on water quality parameters (salinity and density measurement) was conducted at the Nachchikkuda landing Site as a practical, field-based learning session. The training aimed to strengthen local capacity in monitoring essential water quality parameters in coastal environments.

The session brought together five OPEnE staff members, one F3 staff member, a community trainer who serves as the president of Nallayan FCS, and three local fishers. Their active participation created a collaborative learning environment that connected technical knowledge with community experience.

The training focused on the hands-on use of a refractometer, enabling participants to accurately measure salinity and density. Through real-time field practice, both staff and community members enhanced their technical skills and understanding, contributing to improved environmental monitoring and supporting sustainable fisheries management within the community.

Participants shared that the training provided valuable knowledge on the importance of water salinity for sea cucumber harvesting. They noted that sea cucumbers are highly sensitive to changes in salinity levels and explained that during flooding events, the salinity of the water can decrease significantly, which may eventually lead to the death of sea cucumbers. Participants also appreciated the hands-on practice in measuring water salinity, which helped them better understand how to monitor water quality in the field. Overall, they stated that the training improved their awareness of key water quality parameters, particularly salinity, and its critical role in sustaining healthy sea cucumber populations.

20/02/2026

Proactive Self Help Groups (SHGs) and the Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC) in Thevanpitty that prepared for Cyclone DITWAH

In Thevanpiddy village, 13 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) proved that grassroots organisation is one of the strongest defences against disasters.

Before Cyclone DITWAH made landfall in November, SHG members, together with other community members, were transformed into the Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC) on 18.10.2025. The VDMC is a community-based, grassroots-level structure operating under the guidance of the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), Sri Lanka, to strengthen local preparedness, risk reduction, and disaster response.

Through focused disaster-readiness initiatives, the community carried out key preparedness actions, including sharing early warning information through village and SHG WhatsApp groups, preparing mats and bedsheets, and packing evacuation kits. Most notably, the SHGs had already established a Disaster Emergency Fund, a community-owned safety net that avoided the usual delays of external assistance. This fund is created through special contributions by SHG members, with each member contributing Rs.100–200 twice a week.

The formation of the VDMC and regular disaster preparedness discussions ensured that every household was aware of evacuation routes, safety measures, and designated safety locations. The community also implemented disaster risk reduction measures such as relocating livestock to safer areas, clearing roadblocks, cleaning canals, and opening water discharge points to the sea. Special attention was given to the safety of women, children, the elderly, Persons with Disabilities (PwD), pregnant mothers, and lactating mothers, who were prioritised during evacuations and in the distribution of mats and bedsheets.

Collective action also extended to protecting livelihoods and household assets, including moving fishing boats to higher ground to prevent damage. VDMC and SHG members served as a vital link between the community and government duty bearers, including the Grama Niladari (GN), Development Officer (DO), Divisional Secretary (DS), and Veterinary Officers, to streamline damage assessments and ensure relief reached those in need.

Despite strong preparation, the cyclone severely impacted the local micro-economy. 196 houses were affected, 353 chickens were lost, and livestock losses amounted to Rs.400,000. Yet, the recovery phase highlighted the true strength of the SHGs. Instead of relying on high-interest loans or delayed grants, SHGs mobilised their internal emergency funds, providing an average of Rs.5,000 per member for immediate support.

The experience of Thevanpiddy shows that while infrastructure matters, organised social capital is indispensable. Through financial foresight and strong local coordination, the SHGs didn’t just survive Cyclone DITWAH; they demonstrated the power of community-led resilience. 💪🌿