Sri Lanka’s most trusted micro finance partner, HNB Grameen Finance Ltd handed over a home to one of their customers recently that was built by utilising funds of the ‘Mehewara’ fund which comprises voluntary cash contributions of staff members of the bank.

The home which was built with an investment of Rs.600,000 was handed over at a simple ceremony in Trincomalee to Shaalini who is a small-scale entrepreneur and a customer of HNB Grameen Finance Ltd. The bank decided he was worthy of a new home considering that he was a struggling entrepreneur who has made significant progress despite hardships.

Speaking at the housewarming ceremony, HNB Grameen Finance Ltd Training Head Anura Udawatta said: “We are humbled and happy to lend a helping hand to a very deserving, hardworking customer to come up in life which falls in line with our mission to empower the lives of especially the small-scale businessmen and women of Sri Lanka who collectively contribute significantly to our economy.”

“As the programme progresses, we hope to build 14 more houses covering all regions that we are present in. We have 16 regions at the moment and two of them – Puttalam and Trincomalee – have been covered so far,” Udawatta added.

In addition to building houses, the ‘Mehewara’ fund is also a welfare fund which serves to assist customers and staff members in times of crises such as natural disasters, illnesses and death.

HNB Grameen Finance Ltd was established in the year 2000 and is licensed as a registered Finance Company by the Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka under the Finance Business Act No. 42 of 2011. The company pioneered commercial based microfinance in Sri Lanka, charting a new course for the enterprising but inclusive small scale entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka.