NDB Bank-World Vision empower women-headed households

• Enable sustainable farming and financial inclusion

NDB Bank partnered with World Vision to implement a targeted initiative aimed at uplifting women-headed households through integrated farming solutions and financial empowerment.

Formalised through the signing of a memorandum of understanding, this partnership will directly support 10 women-headed households in the Kilinochchi district, with a particular focus on those facing livelihood insecurity and limited access to financial services. Through a combination of climate-resilient home gardening, small-scale livestock rearing and essential financial literacy training, the initiative seeks to promote sustainable income generation, improved nutrition and long-term financial independence.

Under the programme, World Vision will facilitate delivering of agri-based technical assistance and input support, including seeds, plants, livestock and tools, alongside structured training to equip participants with practical knowledge in home-based cultivation and animal husbandry. NDB Bank, in turn, will play a critical role in enabling financial access, by conducting financial literacy sessions, facilitating account openings and supporting the long-term financial management of the participating households.

NDB Bank Corporate Sustainability Committee Head Lasantha Dassanayaka said, “At NDB, we believe that building a resilient nation begins with empowering families at the grassroots. This partnership with World Vision aligns with our broader sustainability agenda, by bringing together food security, financial inclusion and dignified livelihood opportunities for some of Sri Lanka’s most underserved communities.”

World Vision Lanka National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah said, “All of World Vision’s work has just one focus – the sustained well-being of the most vulnerable children. We can achieve only a part of it if we don’t empower their parents and caregivers with stable livelihoods and financial literacy. We greatly value this partnership with NDB which can multiply the impact and we are excited for the transformation it can bring.”

Through this collaborative effort, the beneficiaries will not only gain the tools to generate sustainable income from their home gardens and livestock units but also be integrated into the formal banking system, giving them the foundation to grow their savings, access credit when needed and plan for the future with greater confidence.

As women continue to play a growing role in driving household resilience and local economies, this initiative reflects NDB Bank’s ongoing commitment to fostering inclusive progress—particularly by equipping women with tools to lead in both livelihood creation and financial decision-making. By integrating practical skills with banking access, the project offers a foundation for long-term empowerment and growth.

As the initiative progresses, NDB Bank and World Vision will work jointly to monitor outcomes, provide follow-up support and explore opportunities to scale the model further across other regions.