Empower Projects is a registered, tax‑deductible nonprofit organisation established in Sydney, Australia in 2009. Founded by Shyamika Peeligama, James Feng and Shanil Samarakoon, we set out to support initiatives that reflect local development priorities and are led by partner communities themselves. This commitment took us to Malawi and Sri Lanka - places where we share deep personal heritage, networks, and experience.

We are dedicated to projects that begin with a positive vision for change put forward by communities. Each initiative builds on local knowledge, skills, and resources, ensuring that community members feel ownership, pride, and the confidence to sustain outcomes well into the future.

Our operations in Australia are entirely volunteer‑run, supported by a board with expertise spanning international development, human rights, governance, social enterprise, and business.

In 2012, we established our sister organisation Empower Malawi, reflecting our commitment to ensuring that projects are championed by a local board and staff with deep knowledge of the language, culture, and context.

In Sri Lanka, we currently work through local partner organisations, and — similar to our approach in Malawi — we aspire to establish a dedicated sister organisation in the future