A major part of Caritas Sri Lanka's post-tsunami work is enabling tsunami-affected people to regain their livelihoods. Through the provision of grants, small loans, toolkits and equipment Caritas Sri Lanka is assisting individuals, small businesses and co-operatives overcome the devastation of the tsunami.

From vegetable vendors, jewellers, fishermen, divers and farmers to seamstresses, basket-makers, shoe repairers and bakers, Caritas Sri Lanka is reaching out to those whose way of life was destroyed on 26 th December 2004.

Weighing scales, knives, boats, bicycles, engines, sewing machines are among the lost assets which have been restored in each of the affected diocese - Colombo in the west, Galle in the south, Jaffna and the Vanni in the north, Batticaloa and Trincomalee in the east.

In 2005 over 3000 fishermen benefited from the provision of new or repaired boats; hundreds of farmers have benefited from the replacement of destroyed fences, seeds and fertiliser; some 3000 sole traders and businesses received new toolkits.

Micro-finance is key to Caritas Sri Lanka's livelihoods work. Grants of between Rs 100,000 ($1000) and Rs 300,000 ($300) to credit societies have helped kick-start revolving funds which enable society members to take out low interest loans from their society's funds.

As part of Caritas Sri Lanka's commitment to the long-term strengthening of tsunami-affected people's livelihoods, resources are now being focussed on strengthening small businesses, with technical training and support for value-added activities such as fish processing and agro-enterprise