What Does Success Really Look Like?

Building change that lasts—a look back on 15 years of transformation in Sri Lanka

For more than two decades, civil war tore the nation of Sri Lanka apart at the seams. Families lost everything: their loved ones, homes, and livestock. More than 100,000 people were killed and millions more were forced from their homes. Women were uniquely affected as nearly 90,000 women lost their husbands and partners and became their families’ sole breadwinner overnight.

Selina, a development worker, began journeying with survivors as they tried to rebuild their lives amidst the visible marks of conflict and destruction. What she discovered was widows, many of them already living in poverty, needed sustainable and safe ways to care for themselves and their families left behind.

“It’s the right of all human beings to live a life with dignity, love, peace, and justice. Yugashakthi guides those who need to achieve self-sufficiency and provides a platform to grow and thrive.”—Selina Prem Kumar, Founder, Yugashakthi

"Suddenly, the women had to go out and do hard labour, leaving their children behind," says Selina Prem Kumar, founder of Tearfund’s partner, Yugashakthi in Sri Lanka. "But what they earned in a day’s wage wasn’t even enough to feed their children."

"It’s very traditional to have a cow in every household, and women are the ones who tend to the cows at home, so they already had the knowledge," continues Selina. "So, I thought to myself, ‘What if I trained them a little more so their milk production could increase and they could sustain their income and be able to stay home with their children?’ That way they will have a better life."

In 2009, Selina founded Yugashakthi, a social enterprise set up to help communities in poverty flourish, mainly through smallholder dairy farming. In 2012, Tearfund began partnering with Selina and her team to help achieve their ambitious vision and support as many women widowed in the war as possible.

Selina and the Yugashakthi team celebrate their bestselling curd sold in traditional clay pots. (Photo: Yugashakti)

From eight smallhold farmers, to thousands

The dairy farming project started small with just eight women farmers and a few cows. Together, these smallholder farmers learned to maximise their cows’ milk production and began earning an average of $20 a month. It didn’t take long to grow from those eight farmers to 150, when Tearfund began supporting the programme in 2012. Smallholder farmers saw their monthly income multiply on average to $150.

That’s when Selina and Kevin Riddell, Tearfund’s Senior Development Specialist, knew they were onto something. They could see real transformation taking shape within families and entire communities.

Take Pathmanathan, for example. After losing her husband in the war, she worked as a cook. When Yugashakthi invited her to join the dairy programme, she was given a cow, trained in shed construction, feeding and animal handling, and shown where to sell her milk. Over time, she expanded to four cows and watched her household income double.

Or Banumathy, who was displaced with her husband during the war and returned home to rubble. Despite the challenges, they were determined on starting again in their home village. Through the dairy farming programme, they replaced their older animals and were trained in cattle management. Banumathy saw her cows’ milk production rise steadily and from the profits of her milk sales alone, she sent her daughter to university.

By 2016, more than 2,700 farmers across the community, men and women were receiving the support and livestock they needed to start anew after decades of war.
 

More Than a Livelihood

Selina’s vision had always been about more than dairy farming, of course. Selina wanted to see entire communities flourish. For the past five years, Yugashakthi’s work has been woven into Tearfund’s wider protection programme. Because while dairy farming was changing lives economically, Selina and the team knew that more needed to be done to protect people in poverty at risk of exploitation.

Smallholder farmers are now producing enough milk for their families, with extra to sell. (Photo: Tearfund NZ)

Children’s clubs were set up in every village under the programme, giving them a safe space to learn how to recognise and protect themselves from human trafficking. These have now been handed over to local churches to carry forward in their communities. Mental health support helped children and families process war trauma, while a 24-hour hotline ensured help was always available in a crisis.
 

What 15 years of partnership made possible

Together, these initiatives are still working today to create protected and caring communities, and we have you to thank. With the support of thousands of compassionate Kiwis like you over the last 15 years, 13,200 smallholder farmers across 170 villages have become self-sufficient through dairy farming. Through Yugashakthi’s milk production collective and dairy factory, NZ$2.2 million worth of milk has been sold to suppliers and customers across Sri Lanka and internationally. The programme has been so successful, in fact, they’ve expanded to create additional products, including cheese and ice cream.

By pooling their milk through Yugashakthi, smallholder dairy farmers can access reliable markets and earn a better income. (Photo: Tearfund NZ)

But the difference didn’t stop there. Their hard work has paid dividends, lifting entire families out of poverty and setting them on a trajectory previously unimaginable. Because people like you, Selina, and Kevin believed in them, they are now sending their children to university, building homes, and providing for themselves and their families with confidence and hope.

“Without Tearfund’s help, we would not be eating three meals a day or consider the next level of education for my children. This income means we can live.”—Pathmanathan, smallhold dairy farmer

When success means standing on your own

From the very beginning, the goal was to build something communities could one day own and run themselves. And we couldn’t be happier to tell you that what you helped start all those years ago communities are beginning to now carry forward on their own. As a result, Tearfund’s 15-year partnership is entering its last phase as Yugashakthi moves towards complete independence.

Vulnerable families now have nutrition food, with enough left over to earn an income (Photo: Tearfund NZ)

Our hearts are full of gratitude for the thousands of people who journeyed with us and Selina since the very beginning, who believed that good development takes time and that partnership is a powerful vehicle for change.

“Through all this work, bringing out peace, justice, and love, we could glorify God. I’m so grateful to Tearfund and its supporters for helping us do this work over the years.”—Selina Prem Kumar

As Kevin puts it, "I’ve always seen my role as sitting in the passenger seat with Selina as the driver and together helping her reach the finishing line."
Now, here we are on the final stretch and our hearts are full of gratitude. Together with Selina, Kevin, and thousands of others, you have rebuilt infrastructure, supplied new cows and helped community farmers access fair markets and competitive tools. Together, we’ve seen families restore what war had taken from them and then build something new.

We believe with all our hearts that God’s hand has been on every step of this journey with our partner, Yugashakthi. Thank you for being on the journey with us. 
 

The Power of Partnership Over 15 Years

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