Women's Entrepreneurship Award

Mrs. Ayesha of Maruthamunai is the first woman from Eastern Province to win Sri Lanka’s prestigious Women’s Entrepreneurship Award. The ceremony for this year’s winner was held by the Chamber of Commerce at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo on 16th May, 2006. Experiencing a five-star tourist hotel like the Cinnamon Grand is a luxury for a poor village weaver woman like Mrs. Ayesha, and she was highly elated by her visit.

Fifty years old and the mother of three grown boys, Mrs. Ayesha recently spoke with the CASP Communications Team and posed for a photograph with her award. She explained that she is very happy and proud that she is the first woman in the Eastern Province to win this award. She went on to say that it is difficult to find the words to express her feelings and the happiness she had upon receiving the award in the presence of so many people at the ceremony in Colombo. Mrs. Ayesha’s success is an inspiration to the women of Ampara District and will hopefully pave the way for many others to follow in her footsteps.

Above Left: Canadian Handloom Expert Trudi Walker Wood, CASP Gender Specialist Thilaka Pathmanathan, and Mrs. Ayesha with her award.