“I was very disappointed when I was told that. I waited for years to save this money only to be told that I am not qualified,” she recalled.Despite the roadblock, she remained hopeful. One day, through some friends, she came to know about the free vocational training programme offered by Sarvodaya, a non-governmental organisation that has been working towards creating a no poverty, no affluence and conflict-free society in Sri Lanka.
“I was very excited when I heard about it and applied for a beautician training course. I was called for an interview and selected, all for free!” she says excitedly.“I have now successfully completed three months of the course and have even started my own small business. Now I am a professional beautician. I thought I would never get a chance to achieve my dream in my lifetime, but with the support of Sarvodaya, my dream of becoming a beautician has come true,” she added. Sarvodaya also helped by providing her with the necessary support to connect with banking institutions and government officers to obtain loans needed for her business. RYTHM Foundation supports Sarvodaya’s mission to uplift and empower various disadvantaged groups in Sri Lanka by funding its initiatives such as vocational training and entrepreneur development.