Surangi Gamage, 30 year old tailor and a baker from Ratnapura, left her job of 14 years at a garment factory to invest in herself. For many years, she had balanced long factory shifts with her creative passions of sewing, shoemaking and cake baking. Then she took a bold step forward and launched her own brand, Amee Cake & Fashion Home. Under her brand she offered custom-stitched clothing, handmade shoes and cakes.
What enabled her to turn her dreams into a reality, was access to opportunity which she found through the Digital Financial Inclusion for Youth project. Surangi secured her first loan of Rs. 50,000 from Sejaya Micro Credit Ltd, a local MFI run by Gojo & Company Inc, followed by a second loan of Rs. 100,000 in 2024. Using these funds, she purchased cake-making tools, machines, yarn and fabrics. She was able to streamline her business more, her products were more refined and soon her clientele began to grow. At present, she earns a steady monthly income which has not only improved her livelihood but also given her the confidence as an entrepreneur.
Surangi has also found strength in Pasio’s WhatsApp-based community network, where other beneficiaries like her share their products, exchange ideas and access learning resources. This digital hub became a classroom and a marketplace, for her helping to structure her workflow, organize her finances and plan new product lines under the Amee brand.
Nilanka Dilrukshi is another entrepreneur who was able to expand her business through this programme just like Surangi. With support from Sejaya Micro Credit Ltd, she transformed her dream into a thriving business. She was able to expand her small event decor venture, in 2024, when she secured a loan of Rs. 70,000. She had the passion yet the lack of means to grow before obtaining the loan made her business lag behind. Now, her services are standing out for their beauty, elegance and detail with her unique decorations, improved tools and expanded marketing outreach.
Nilanka was able to secure over 20 bookings that included weddings and corporate functions within a year and build a reputation as a service provider with professionalism. She had the chance to connect with photographers, caterers and other vendors, through the Pasio community, expanding her network which lead to generating more referrals for her business. Soon she was capable of hiring a small team. It helped her boost both her income and her confidence in handling larger projects. “It was not just the funding. It was important for me to learn to think and act like a business woman and Pasio’s digital tools and community helped me in this,” she said.
The broader impact of Pasio’s initiative, which is reshaping opportunities for Sri Lanka’s rural youth are reflected in stories of Surangi and Nilanka.
‘Economic Empowerment of Youth through Digital Financial Inclusion’ (Pasio) programme targets entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 across underserved communities in rural areas. Partnering with Sejaya Micro Credit Ltd, Pasio delivers a holistic package: digital financing tools, financial and digital literacy training, and vibrant community learning platforms.
“We are not just providing loans; we are unlocking potential that is been trapped by circumstance. When a young woman in rural Sri Lanka can manage her business finances through her phone, track her loan balance in real-time, and build the confidence to expand her enterprise from a small village shop to serving customers nationwide, we are doing something revolutionary. We are breaking down barriers that have existed for generations, the barrier of distance from banks, the barrier of complex paperwork, the barrier of being told ‘you are too young’ or ‘too rural’ or ‘too risky’. Every tap on the Pasio app represents a step toward financial independence,” Ernest Shupai Dube, Enterprise Development Senior Specialist at the Silatech Programme, Education Above All Foundation, said.
As a part of this effort to uplift the life and businesses of the young entrepreneurs, Pasio mobile app, which provides real-time loan balance updates, clear visualization of scheduled interest and tools for financial planning was also introduced. For many entrepreneurs in areas with limited access to services, this app provides their first encounter with digital banking which is a vital step towards financial independence.
The results the App brought about are tangible. Accordingly, almost 34,575 loans out of 101,833 total project loans have been disbursed through 52 branches nationwide by mid-August this year. These income-generating loans, together with digital tools and training, have fueled thousands of small businesses in sectors ranging from retail and services to agriculture and event management.
The project’s impact also extends far beyond finance. Rizanth Francis, CEO of Sejaya Microcredit Ltd, emphasized that Sejaya and Pasio are creating a new form of digital empowerment.
“Community platforms powered by Sejaya and Pasio are creating a new form of digital empowerment. They allow borrowers to share experiences and solutions, help in diversifying income and creating a vibrant ecosystem of peer-to-peer learning. By connecting women to digital marketplaces, these platforms help them sell products beyond their villages, creating sustainable livelihoods. The Sejaya Pasio app makes finance is easy to use and provides real-time access to loan balances, repayment schedules and due dates in local languages, which enables women to stay in control of their businesses and their financial futures. This integrated approach ensures financial literacy and community-based support, multiplying the project’s impact beyond just a loan,” Francis said.
A special focus has also been placed on women’s digital literacy, ensuring that female entrepreneurs who are often excluded from financial systems are able gain the skills and confidence to participate fully in the economy. Together, the loans, the app and the Pasio community are cultivating more than businesses; they are building confidence, resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
For entrepreneurs like Surangi and Nilanka, the journey is about more than income. It is about finding independence, gaining respect and creating futures on their own terms. And as more young people step into similar journeys, one thing is evident. Pasio’s model is not just transforming individuals, but helping to reimagine the economic landscape of rural Sri Lanka.
