The Organization of People for Engagement and Enterprise (OPEnE) is a local, grassroots, non-profit development organization based in the Mannar district of Northern Sri Lanka. Established in 2016, with the support of ZOA , OPEnE has helped to empower communities by working with both state and non-state service providers to improve education and community capacity-building services.

In the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s thirty-year civil war, we have been working towards improving the livelihoods of war-affected communities and nurturing socio-economic development initiatives within the region. Our outcomes have been very pleasing and have primarily been achieved through educational initiatives aimed at empowering women and children and through promoting environmental conservation and tackling climate change.

OPEnE works to meet the needs of women and children in the Mannar District, Sri Lanka, by supporting community-driven initiatives focused on education, community capacity building and sustainability, including initiatives that respond to the ongoing climate crisis.

Whilst some parts of the country have recovered and rebuilt following many years of civil war, not all regions have prospered. This disparity is especially evident in the Mannar district, and more specifically, the most remote villages of the district. A lack of education, occupational skills, and limited opportunities have proved particularly challenging for women and youth in the region.

Our work in agriculture and coastal fishing communities, which make up some of the most marginalized groups, has helped provide these communities with the same opportunities available to those in more developed parts of the island.