THE EVOLUTION OF SEJAYA MICROCREDIT LTD.
With the advent of Janasaviya Trust Fund in late 1980s, many NGOs started providing micro finance services to the rural poor. Many of these players provided micro finance with other capacity building initiatives such as Business Development, Health & Sanitation etc., which were aimed at enhancing the living standards of the poor.
However, the first decade of this century saw many commercialized microfinance providers venturing in to microfinance with the massive funds they have accumulated. The commercialization of microfinance has created many issues in the marketplace such as over indebtedness and erosion of the credit culture of the country.
When the concept of Sejaya Micro Credit was born in 2014 November, the microfinance in Sri Lanka was dominated by the commercialized microfinance providers. The founders of Sejaya, had other ideas about microfinance. Having worked with rural women for over a decade, the founders have a dream to create an organization that would live up to the true spirit of classical microfinance which is entirely a social enterprise focused on the wellbeing of low-income women of the country.
They founded Sejaya with this intention to establish a different brand of microfinance with the ultimate aim of alleviating poverty. Sejaya’s goal is to create social capital, enhance living standards and reduce poverty of low-income households by providing inclusive financial services coupled with social responsibility. It envisages a Win-Win-Win situation for the Clients, Staff & the Investors.
