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Youth Employment and Business Start-Up (YouLead)
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USAID’s YouLead project supports inclusive economic growth by increasing youth employability. The project does this by strengthening vocational training for students, teachers, institutions, and entrepreneurs; improving workforce capacity to meet market demand; and linking with the private sector to encourage employment opportunities for youth. The project also works with the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training to develop partnerships with businesses and training providers to leverage resources to prepare youth with market-ready skills.
Safe, Disaster-Resilient Drinking Water to Flood and Drought Prone Areas
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USAID collaborates with Lanka Rain Water Harvesting Forum to provide safe drinking water and improve community resilience in the face of changing climate conditions. This project supports communities that experience floods and droughts regularly to recover more quickly. It is implemented in Badulla and Monaragala districts in the Uva Province, Batticaloa, and Ampara districts in the Eastern Province, and Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts in the Northern Province.
Development Finance Corporation
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The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is America’s development bank. DFC partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. DFC also provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs to create jobs in emerging markets.
Energy Program
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In June 2020, USAID provided a $600,000 grant to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) to support the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka in analyzing Sri Lanka’s energy cost and tariff structure, in furtherance of President Rajapaksa’s objective of hydro and renewable sources accounting for 80% of Sri Lanka’s overall energy mix by 2030. In May 2021, USAID greatly expanded this effort by awarding a $19 million energy project to help the Government of Sri Lanka make its power sector market-based, secure, reliable, and sustainable. The project will facilitate access to capital and attract investments to increase deployment of renewable energy and advanced technologies. It will also expand the private sector’s role in the power system, enhance competitiveness, and encourage adoption of energy efficiency standards.