The Embassy of the United States of America is awarding approximately LKR 9,000,000 (over $60,000) to eight civil society organizations as part of the Embassy’s annual Youth Empowerment Grants program. This initiative supports innovative, small-scale projects to nurture civil society groups helping Sri Lankan youth.
“From raising environmental awareness to providing leadership training, promoting gender equality to advancing the rights of marginalized communities, the U.S. Embassy is proud to support up-and-coming youth-oriented groups looking to make a difference in Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Counselor James Russo at the awards ceremony.

This year saw eight winning recipients selected from an extremely competitive pool of proposals, with programs targeting community development, environmental protection, reconciliation, human rights, and developing employment skills.
Since 2010, the Embassy has provided a total of nearly LKR 135 million (over $900,000) in Youth Empowerment Grants to fund over 100 programs.