Japan funds rehabilitation in the North
The Women's Community Based Savings Group in Sri Lanka's Northern Province (NP) has launched a reconciliation programme for war-affected families through women empowerment.
The programme, funded by the Government of Japan and administered by the UN Habitat, helps women make a living through self entrepreneurship.
Under the programme, members of the groups are required to deposit a minimum of Rs. 50 every week in a fund from which loans are granted.
The group operates at village level.
“Group members utilise the loan, given without any collateral security or paper-work, to launch their own smallscale businesses such as poultry farming or retail shops,” said UN Habitat Kilinochchi district organiser Anwar Khan.
Members of the group say they face difficulties in getting loans from banks.
Asokan Sandhidevi, a member of Ilatchan Women Savings Society in Kilinochchi, said she benefited from the micro finance system of the savings group to start a retail shop.
Officials of the UN Habitat programme said these programmes are initiated with the aim of achieving reonciliation between the war-affected Northern Pronvince and other parts of the country.
In addition to forming savings groups, the UN Habitat with the Government of Japan has also started many pre-schools in the province.
During resettlement, the authorities did not give much importance to setting up pre-schools in war-affected areas, villagers said.
Later, the UN Habitat conducted a field survey among people who want to support the village, and identified the need for such schools, where children are provided primary education free.
Unnakuran Mookadevika, mother of a child going to a pre-school run by the UN Habitat, said “Earlier, these schools were in terrible condition without a proper ceiling. Now the schools are equipped with proper shelter for two rooms, toilets and sufficient playing area for the students.”
Other than assistance given for Education and Women Empowerment, the Government of Japan has allocated funds for water supply and healthcare.
The Kilinochchi water tank that was blown up during the war, is being reconstructed with these funds, with Stage 1 supplying drinking water to Kilinochchi town and its suburbs, benefiting 30,000 people in 14 villages.
Stage 1 supplies water to villagers within a radius of 40 km, while Stage 2, to be completed by 2018, will serve people within a radius of 100 km.