Members of the Navy of Sri Lanka have joined local women to replant mangroves.
The project has set up 1,500 community based organisations (CBO) in 14 coastal districts of the country, with women attending three-day training sessions on mangrove conservation, business management and livelihood development.
Each CBO agrees to support conservation of 8.5 hectares (21 acres) of mangrove area, and will replant 2.5 hectares
HP Malini lives in Karambe, in Puttalam district. With training in business management and a loan from the conservation project, she has started a dried fish business
Jeyarasa Mary Jackulin is a widow with three children, living in Vidaththal Theevu. She has been earning an income producing fishing ropes using discarded nets and selling them back to fishermen. Using a microloan of 10,000 rupees (£115), she has also started a business packing chilli powder and selling it to the surrounding community, earning the equivalent of £125 a month.