When women change the world
Nilushika Silva Jayaweera
I was 20 years old when I came to Singapore from Sri Lanka to work as a domestic helper. My parents were dead, and I had to support my siblings. I worked for 16 years but it was only in 2011, that attending a microfinancing course at Aidha, I discovered that leadership is about awareness, choice, and responsibility. I grew convinced that empowerment and education are critical to a brighter future for women. I began rebuilding my life I had to learn to believe in myself and reject the labels assigned to me. I began the exciting journey of turning my dream into reality. I returned to Sri Lanka and launched my own social enterprise, NILUTEA an online and local tea business (www.nilutea.com) and set up EMERGING HOPE LANKA an organization empowering women in rural Sri Lanka (www.emerginghopelanka.org).
