Disaster Response Sri Lanka Project #17452

Livelihood Assitance in Sri Lanka

by Japan Emergency NGO (JEN)

Project Report | Apr 26, 2017
The drought

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

Cultivation full of black eyed peas in farmland

Due to the climate change, JEN is planning to strengthen the capability of disaster mitigation and prevention in Sri Lanka in 2017, including drought or flood either both of the climates countermeasures.

The anxiety caused by drought due to the climate change in Sri Lanka was discussed in our previous staff blog. However, this time we are writing of the damage to farming caused by rain.

Once the rainy season begins, many families in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu cultivate beans such as black eyed peas, aduki beans, peanuts etc. They utilize huge plots of land, ranging from 500 square metres to 1,000 square metres, which is beyond the imagination of ordinary families in Japan, and which allows them to harvest between 35 kg to 50 kg of beans.

The harvested beans are divided into three portions: those to sell at market; those to eat at home; and those to preserve as seeds for the next cultivation. Beans which are preserved as seeds for next time will be planted for longer and dried naturally.

Once these beans are harvested, they are stored in a dry place for 45 days. After that, people can plant these beans as seeds again. If beans are not dried enough and then planted as they are, an abundant crop of beans cannot be expected even if the seeds sprout.

Since black-eyed peas and aduki beans do not require much water, lots of seeds could be harvested this season notwithstanding the small amount of rainfall.

However, during this year’s harvest, heavy rain continued for a week in Mullaitivu damaging seeds which need to be dried naturally. Wet crops sprout easily so they are not suitable for food.

Moreover, they cannot be used as seeds for the next cultivation as they are not sufficiently dried. Farmers regretfully showed us their damaged crops.

Thus, on one hand it doesn’t rain when it’s necessary on the other hand, it rains when sunshine is needed. This often occurring situation repeatedly places those people reliant upon farming for their living into a vulnerable position.

In Sri Lanka, where the weather is continuously unstable due to climate change, a further measure to minimize this risk is required.

JEN’s goal is to support the self-help capability in individual families and communities so that people do not fall back into poverty. Our team will do our best to achieve the goal.

Dried mung beans as seeds for cultivation

Mung beans which sprouted due to rain

Meeting with our beneficiaries

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Feb 2, 2017
Construction of a Community Centre with Ford

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

A group picture before work

As a part of the community strength support, JEN is establishing community centres where groups within communities such as agricultural co-operative association or village development committee can conduct activities. Under the idea“buildings for the region should be built by themselves”, they don’t hire a building contractor and construction from the foundation to the roof is conducted by the regional village development committee.

On October 4, some employees of Ford Motor Company, one of the supporters of Thampakamam Community Centre construction, came from Colombo to Kilinochchi and helped with construction work under the programme of Global Month of Caring as a volunteer.

The work for the day was backfilling after completing the foundation of the building and carrying the sand and soil to the 24 square meters place endlessly.

Vannankerny North village of Thampakamam district, which is a community centre construction site, has no building facilities because the place was released from the army last year and started resettlement of returnees.

For the employees who spend most of their time in the room with air conditioner, it seemed they were very hard to work under the scorching sun.
Between the construction works, they visited the place where JEN constructs wells and spent some time with people in the community.

Houses made of block have been built in Thampakamam area by the recent government shelter support. However, there are still many houses made of tin roof or palm leaves and they shared 2 wells and 2 water tanks in 15 houses before JEN’s well construction for agriculture.

The employees of Ford Motor Company mentioned that Thampakamam area does not look like the same country, after they saw its situation when it was far behind the big city, Colombo.

Also, they were impressed by the people of Thampakamam area who are strong, despite the lack of resources and opportunities.

Through these opportunities, we will be grateful if JEN has a chance to spread the history, beauty and people with full of hospitality as well as the situation of the northern area on their behalf.

Ford and JEN staff were preparing the foundation

Lunch was made by the local people

Backfilling was completed

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Jan 13, 2017
Agricultural Workshop in Mullaitivu

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

Instructors giving a lecture about organic farming

JEN held an agricultural workshop in Mullaitivu district, Sri Lanka.

As a part of our current agricultural livelihood recovery programme, JEN is enhancing people’s agricultural skills, so that people returning to the district are able to practice more productive farming. For this year we held an agricultural workshop for 38 households in Mullaitivu district with the support of the Department of Agriculture on 26 September.

During the workshop, attendees learnt about organic farming, apiculture, and mushroom production in seminars. They also went to a model farm run by the Department of Agriculture to receive instruction about making organic composts, how to make fertilizer out of plants grown in the northern region and how to make organic pesticides. Farming using pesticides is becoming increasingly popular in Sri Lanka but this is causing more people to develop and suffer from liver ailments due to their drinking water contaminated with pesticides. By learning about organic agriculture in this workshop, JEN thinks that we have instructed a more sustainable way to farm. Also the Department in the northern region of Sri Lanka is now focusing on the growing of mushrooms in addition to current crops such as eggplants, okuras, watermelons and peanuts. Mushrooms are a suitable commodity for the recovery of people’s livelihoods because they are sold at higher prices than other vegetables. However, growing mushrooms is a first for most farmers. So the programme under which the Department of Agriculture provides mushroom spores at cheaper prices and provides guidance to farmers on how to grow mushrooms was also introduced in this workshop.

In the demonstration on organic compost, the participants practiced making compost according to the instructor’s guidance. To do so, the participants first laid hay within an enclosed area and covered it with soil. Next, they watered the soil and laid withered banana leaves on the soil and then, again, covered this with hay. Then, they sprayed the pile with water mixed with cattle dung. There were some who hesitated in watering the pile when they smelt the cattle dung. Repeating this process several times over several weeks will produce ready to use compost.

The participants looked tired as they had practice outside on a hot day, but it seemed to be a productive workshop.

Unpopular the water with cattle dung for compost

Make multiple layers of soil, hay, leaves and done

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