Business
Rythm Foundation empowers women entrepreneurs in partnership with Sarvodaya
Over 400 young women from vulnerable communities in Jaffna and Kilinochchi are being empowered with entrepreneurial skills to enable them to overcome poverty and build sustainable livelihoods under a unique initiative undertaken by Sarvodaya and RYTHM Foundation.
RYTHM Foundation, the social impact arm of the QI Group, focuses its efforts in the areas of education for all, gender equality and sustainable community development, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the foundation operates in several countries to make a difference around the world, which includes a strong presence in Sri Lanka.
Since 2018, the foundation has collaborated with various local organisations around the country to facilitate sustainable development in underserved communities. This includes creating employment opportunities through a social enterprise project in the northern province, as well as promoting the social inclusion of persons with special needs in the Kandy district.
Sri Lanka holds a special place in the heart of the foundation as the birthplace of its chairperson, Umayal Eswaran. Having grown up in Colombo with altruistic parents who had an open-door policy of extending help to anyone who required it, Umayal has always had an innate sense of philanthropy that fuels her passion to uplift others. Thus, the principle the foundation was built upon – Raise Yourself To Help Mankind – and its ongoing quest to lend support to the most vulnerable segments of communities around the world.
“I believe it should be a second nature for humanity to reach out and help those who are in need, weak or vulnerable. When we have the capacity and resources to uplift struggling communities, we must do everything in our power to do so. It is our duty as citizens of the world. I am particularly grateful to be able to give back to the nation that raised and nourished me in my youth with the work that we have been doing through RYTHM Foundation,” said Umayal.
The current project with one of RYTHM’s earliest on-the-ground partners, Sarvodaya, kicked off in 2019 and despite COVID-19 related snags, hopes to continue until its completion this year. Courses in tailoring, beauty culture, mobile repairing, motor mechanics, craft, baking, cake decorating, food processing and many more are offered to young women from economically challenged circumstances to build their life skills under the programme.
It also addresses a lack of access to markets, technology and financial resources and provides training in leadership, entrepreneurship and small business management skills including workshops on engaging with microfinance institutions and banks.
Young women who have consistently faced challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of skills in communities that are mostly made up of female-headed households, are often exposed to gender-based violence and often have to give up their higher education aspirations. Yet, the project has given them confidence and the ability to rise above their circumstances.
Courageous and talented participants such as Siyanuka from Thellipala who learnt business skills in manufacturing leather goods under the initiative, are thriving with their self-employment ventures.
“My family was not very supportive at the start but with the aid from Sarvodaya & RYTHM, I was able to start my leather products business and build a network of clients with my father’s support too” she says.
K. Sayanthini from Visuvamadu East is yet another young woman who was trained as a beautician under the programme. Today, she has built a successful beauty business and provides her services to her community.
These women and many others have had their livelihood potential enhanced while entire communities have benefitted from the project. RYTHM Foundation & Sarvodaya are pleased to have empowered these women economically to transform their lives through this partnership. The foundation hopes to continue working with vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka through collaboration with other grass root level partners such as Sarvodaya.
Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence estimates that 2.3 million bank cards were leaked on the dark web, based on an analysis of data-stealing malware log files from 2023-2024. On average, every 14th infostealer infection results in stolen credit card information, with nearly 26 million devices compromised by infostealers, including more than 9 million in 2024 alone. Kaspersky released its report on the infostealer threat landscape while the technology world gathers at MWC 2025 in Barcelona.
Kaspersky experts estimate that approximately 2,300,000 bank cards have been leaked on the dark web. This conclusion is based on an analysis of the log files from data-stealing malware, dated 2023-2024, that were leaked on the dark web market. While globally the share of leaked cards is well below one percent, 95% of the observed numbers appear technically valid.
Infostealer malware is not only designed to extract financial information, but also credentials, cookies and other valuable user data, which is compiled into log files and then distributed within the dark web underground community. An infostealer can infect a device if a victim unknowingly downloads and runs a malicious file, for example one disguised as legitimate software, such as a game cheat. It can be spread through phishing links, compromised websites, malicious attachments in emails or messengers and various other methods. It targets both personal and corporate devices.
On average, every 14th infostealer infection results in stolen credit card information. Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence experts found that nearly 26 million devices running Windows were infected with various types of infostealers in the past two years.
“The actual number of infected devices is even higher. Cybercriminals often leak stolen data in the form of log files months or even years after the initial infection, and compromised credentials and other information continue to surface on the dark web over time. Therefore, the more time passes, the more infections from previous years we observe. We forecast the total number of devices infected with infostealer malware in 2024 to be between 20 million and 25 million, while for 2023, the estimate ranges between 18 million and 22 million,” says Sergey Shcherbel, expert at Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence.
In 2024, Redline remained the most widespread infostealer, accounting for 34% of the total number of infections.
The most significant surge in 2024 was in infections caused by Risepro, whose share of total infections increased from 1.4% in 2023 to almost 23% in 2024. “RisePro is a growing threat. It was first discovered two years ago but seems to be gaining momentum. The stealer primarily targets banking card details, passwords and cryptocurrency wallet data, and may be spreading under the guise of key generators, cracks for various software and game mods,” explains Sergey Shcherbel. Another rapidly growing stealer is Stealc, which first appeared in 2023 and increased its share from nearly 3% to 13%.
Caterpillar equipment dealer UTE has delivered the country’s largest Cat D8 Track-Type Tractor to NEM Construction Pvt. Ltd., marking a significant milestone in heavy machinery. This delivery strengthens the long-standing partnership between UTE and NEM Construction, which spans over 45 years. The Cat D8 is expected to boost operational efficiency in large-scale projects. As the sole authorized dealer for Caterpillar in Sri Lanka, UTE continues to provide top-tier machinery and after-sales support. The handover is particularly notable as Caterpillar celebrates its 100th anniversary. NEM Construction’s Chairman, Raja Nanayakkara, praised the Cat D8’s superior performance and UTE’s unmatched service and parts support, which have been key to the company’s long-term collaboration. This purchase highlights the continued trust in both Caterpillar and UTE’s expertise in supporting Sri Lanka’s construction industry.
The Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s prowess in comprehensive disclosure of sustainability-related information to stakeholders has won its 2023 Annual Report two top awards at the 2025 Sustainability Reporting Awards presented by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
The Bank was adjudged the overall runner-up and the winner in the Banking category at these awards, repeating the achievement of its 2022 Annual Report which was similarly honoured by the ACCA last year.
The ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards recognise Annual Reports that clearly acknowledge and explain the economic, environmental and social impacts of the business to internal and external stakeholders, demonstrating the organisation’s policies, targets and long-term objectives towards the goal of sustainable development.
Commercial Bank’s 2023 Annual Report also won two Golds, a Silver and a Bronze at CA Sri Lanka’s ‘TAGS’ Awards 2024, excelling in the key aspects recognised by the awards programme which is dedicated to Transparency, Accountability, Governance, and Sustainability – TAGS.
The Bank won the Gold for ‘Corporate Governance Disclosure’ in the Financial Services sector, the Gold for the Best Annual Report among the private sector banks, the Silver for ‘Digitally Transformative Reporting’ across all sectors, and the overall Bronze award for Excellence in Corporate Reporting.
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