May 12, Colombo: Business for Peace Initiative (BPI), an arm of Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) extended its helping hand to 42 micro enterprises and livelihoods in the Ampara district in a grant distribution ceremony held at Tampitiya Rajamaha Vihara recently.

The value of the grants distributed was over Rs. 900,000 for 42 beneficiaries who were mostly paddy farmers in the area. They received seed paddy as a commodity grant to cultivate their paddy lands in the coming Maha season. Other grants given, included spraying machines for farmers, electronic weighing scales for retail shops, sewing machines for women and milking cows to re-activate cottage industries.

In its efforts to rehabilitate and bring back to business 1,000 conflict affected enterprises in the North and the East of Sri Lanka, Business for peace initiative (BPI ) of FCCISL so far has supported more than 560 enterprises in Batticaloa, Kalmunai, Trincomalee, Echchalampattu, Muttur, Mannar, Jaffna, Kilinochchi & Mullaitivu.