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Women Empowerment & Livelihood

Our Ministries

Building Skills, Dignity & Economic Independence

The Good Shepherd Sisters equip women with vocational skills and sustainable livelihoods through skill development centers, social enterprises, and training institutes across Sri Lanka.

Livelihood

Skill Development Centers

These centers provide a one-year residential vocational training programme to 30–40 female students at each center, mainly for participants who complete their O/L or A/L examinations, or dropouts from our own residential institutes — and are also open to other deserving young women in the vicinity.

Students follow National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) courses at Level 3 & 4, including Computer Application Assistant, Computer Graphic Designer, Beautician, Hair Stylist, Bakery, and Tailoring, alongside English, Agriculture, General Cookery, Dancing, and short courses such as Needle Craft, Knitting, Handicraft, Batik, Saree Work, and Ribbon Embroidery.

Bolawalana

"Seth Sevana" Good Shepherd Vocational Center

NVQ Level 3 & 4

Balapitiya

Mosvold Educational Center

NVQ Level 3 & 4

Vagarai

Oneco "Vagarai" Vocational Training Center, Ganespuram

NVQ Level 3 & 4
Livelihood

Social Enterprises

As an extension and a new venture, Shepherd's Delight and Maria Nirmala Sewing Center for Women were initiated at Hunupitiya, creating job opportunities for students who passed out from vocational training centers as well as women from neighbouring villages.

Shepherd's Delight

Social enterprise · Hunupitiya

A social enterprise combining quality baking with the empowerment of young women. Through hands-on training in baking and entrepreneurship, participants gain practical skills, confidence, and leadership qualities, cultivate a savings habit, and prepare for higher education and sustainable livelihoods — offering wholesome, natural baked goods with a commitment to affordability and environmental responsibility.

Maria Nirmala Sewing Center

Social enterprise · Hunupitiya

Empowers women and young girls through vocational training in sewing, tailoring, and dressmaking. By equipping them with practical skills and confidence, the centre creates opportunities for employment, self-reliance, and sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.

Livelihood

Good Shepherd Maria Montessori Training Centre (AMI)

The only authorized AMI Montessori Training Centre in Sri Lanka, affiliated to the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and handed over to the Good Shepherd Sisters by Dr. Maria Montessori herself in 1944.

For more than 80 years the institution has shaped the minds of thousands of school-leaving young women from across Sri Lanka, offering the international AMI Primary Diploma (2½–6½ years) in both English and Sinhala.

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Livelihood

Good Shepherd Sisters Handloom Center – Balangoda

Preserves Sri Lanka's handloom heritage while empowering local women through community-based development. The center creates eco-friendly handcrafted products, including signature handloom bags, placemats, and custom textiles, providing vocational training, sustainable employment, and safe livelihood opportunities for marginalized women and single mothers — fostering dignity, self-reliance, and economic empowerment.

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