Selyn was conceived in 1984 when Sandra Wanduragala saw the local hand weaving industry being swamped by machine made imports. Hand weaving skills were being lost; artisans struggled to find new sources of income. Today Selyn contracts to roughly 800 weavers in villages in the north and east of Sri Lanka, and maintains a central factory for finishing packing and selling. This negates the massive pressure on the regional poor to move to the city to "make their fortune". Via this contracting wealth stays in the village and one less family moves to a city slum. 

Selyn’s artisans can access interest-free loans of up to 5000 Sri Lankan Rupiah (about A$65). The average artisan struggles to meet the requirement for a bank loan, but through Selyn’s loans they can grow their business, add to their home or use the money for other purposes. Selyn staff also have opportunities to further their education through training workshops. Full-time staff are provided with informal medical insurance, which meets the needs of their immediate family if they fall ill.