Who are we?
Pragathi Café is a Community Interest Company whose activities benefit the community. In particular we retail fair-trade products which assist the cottage industry in Sri Lanka and benefit the women and children in various aid projects there. Here in the UK we are involved with women who are victims of domestic violence and abuse.
What are our aims?
Pragathi Café is dedicated to the progress of the community through the import of Fairtrade Sri Lankan food, music, arts & crafts.
We aim to inspire the community, transform people’s lives and improve their talents and skills by providing education and training to women who have suffered from domestic violence and abuse.
To help people to achieve their goals and using the profits generated to support the poor and needy children in Sri Lanka. To provide for their welfare and education and to help reduce child poverty in Sri Lanka.
Pragathi Café will offer a place where anyone can meet, enjoy a delicious Sri Lankan meal and enjoy the arts, craft and music of Sri Lanka.
We are committed to providing excellent quality service, punctual delivery and freshly prepared delicious Sri Lankan food, for you, your family, friends, clients and for your parties. We can handle every function to your specific needs.
What are we doing right now?
We have been given a grant by the Lottery Fund to assist us with one of our main projects. The aim of this project is to take this Community cafe as an outreach programme around Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and North London and host an event to raise awareness for our causes, to encourage people to get involved in learning about Sri Lankan cuisine, arts, crafts, dance, to support the Fairtrade cottage industry and the women’s projects we are trying to establish, by not just giving money, but by buying the products, enrolling in dance classes or cookery classes or volunteering at our events.
One of our aims here in Hertfordshire is to get a permanent base where we can provide Training and Education in the Community; our cafe/restaurant will eventually employ a full time qualified Sri Lankan Catering Manager/ Chef who will organise classes for women who have been victims of domestic violence/abuse and we plan to work with Refuge/Women’s Aid and other similar organisations.
How can you help?
We will accept help from any volunteers who wish to assist us in any form they can.
We also require funding and by supporting our products and attending our events you can provide us with some of the funding we require.