Disaster Response Sri Lanka Project #17452

Livelihood Assitance in Sri Lanka

by Japan Emergency NGO (JEN)

Project Report | Feb 2, 2016
Dry Food Production by ACS

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

The project officer, explaining the machine

JEN’s main approaches of supporting returnees are: enhancing incomes and, strengthening communities. The activities we describe below aiming for the latter one, through rebuilding the community and creating income sources.

The community we mention here is the ‘agricultural cooperative society (ACS)’, in which all project members participate. ACSs are established and supported in each project site. Each ACS selects a steering committee as its leader. The structure of a society is designed to enable all members to work together in order to seek solutions and address problems when they arise.

Previously they learned several skills at community strengthening workshops with various topics such as: what is leadership; problem-solving; relationship-building with local authorities; stakeholder analysis and, teamwork. The ACS provides opportunities for people to use these skills practically.

We also introduce activities which have specific themes, as ways to practice operational management of the community and also to create a source of income. This year’s theme is ‘dry food production’. The project is planned to be launched mainly by 7 to 11 steering committees in each project site.

Some days ago, a ‘drying machine’ which is need for dry food production arrived at the project site. Although its design is very simple, the machine is able to dry up to 20 kilograms of vegetables and fruit at once. We tried drying some edible leaves as a demonstration, just after the machine arrived.

JEN hopes that dry food production will lead to stronger communities and better relationships among project members and village residents, to motivate their cooperation in order to solve future problems.

Protect family members within long-lasting hardships

This is an interview of a lady who is supported by one of JEN projects in 2015. A tale of returnee lives in a village.

I am 43-years-old and a mother of two daughters who are 16 and 14-years-old. My husband was a war victim and it had carried on over 20years, and then suddenly our lives were destroyed by it.

After the forwards, we had faced on hardship and I had worked hard as a breadwinner. When I am participated in the JEN project, my life is given full of hope, as the project makes possible that I gain regular income which comes from my own agricultural business.’

Although I have some experience as I had worked in agricultural industry, I could not continue farming because there is no well. But, I will be able to start small-scale agriculture with JEN’s support and I’m looking forward to seeing a big change of my life.

Since the first excavation of the well has started, I cannot wait for completion of all the construction. After the construction finished, I’d like to start with a home garden for my family first. After that, if it goes well, I hope to sell vegetables which I produce and increase my income.

My daughters are also looking forward to the new well because they will not have to go out to wash their bodies any more. It has been our anxiety for a long time to go out since there are some security issues. I will be an excellent owner of the well.

To JEN and other staffs who are involved with this project, I have no other words instead of words of appreciation. JEN understands the fundamental problems which we have faced for a long time, and provided proper support for vulnerable people in our village when they need. Also, I’d like to thank all the people who supported JEN in terms of funding, to implement this project.

Access to water is necessary for people to live. We were touched by JEN’s warm support. I will remember the support whenever I draw water from the well.

She finished words with her future plan and showed a very cheerful face.

In the front of her house

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Nov 6, 2015
Meanings of Wells

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

Digging the ground

Speaking of JEN assistance to regain livelihood, how can you “regain livelihood?”. We would like to answer this question.

Returnees, JEN is supporting, are living in areas, where agriculture is their main source of income. Before the conflict back in the 80’s, most of the households were engaged in agriculture. The last three decades, while they were evacuating; however, lands were devastated, as farming equipment and water supply facilities were stolen. After they came back to their homeland, they manage to engage in farming on a small scale during the rainy season. In the dry season, they have no choice but to do day labor jobs and they are at risk of losing these jobs at any time. JEN is supporting these returnees that they will be able to engage in farming throughout the year and be willing to make a steady income.

One of the main support activities of JEN is to repair and construct agricultural wells. As long as the returnees have well water supplied regularly, they can continue farming even during the dry season, when it never rains.

Recipe of a well

There are several methods to build a well. We would like to introduce a special method among these. It is called “Stepping Down Method”.

The usual method goes like that: you use an excavator and dig the ground 7.5 meters at once; pile up concrete blocks from the bottom; plaster both inside and outside; fill a gap between the wall and the well to finish, and a well is completed. On the other hand, the procedure of “Stepping Down Method” is a little different from the ordinary methods.

1) Dig the ground by an excavator or hand work for about 2 meters to 5 meters until water comes out.

2) Set up a Base Ring Beam (base)

3) Pile up blocks to 1 to 2 meters

4) Plaster

5) Wait until the well sinks by the weight of the blocks

6) After the well sank, pile up the blocks and plaster again, repeat this procedure until the well sinks to the stated depth, add the finishing touches to the well, and then it is completed.

Wells without Borders

It is because the project area in Kilinocci District is near the sea. The soil is soft and it contains a lot of sand and clay. If you dig through the ground at once, the well rings will collapse immediately. When you construct a well by the method, you can reduce the risk that the well rings collapses since the well sinks silently into the sand on its own.

The construction of the well started from the end of July and currently it is in the midstof the plan. The villagers are craving for the completion of the well, saying that “we will be free from conveying water from wells in the neighbouring villages again and again every day, which takes us more than half an hour to complete”.Also, they carry on “we will be able to water the land any time and to share water to nearby households who don’t have wells. So that we all have vegetable grown in a few months time ”.

JEN would like to complete the construction of all the wells before November when the rainy season starts.

Setting up a Base Ring Beam

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Aug 13, 2015
A first meeting at Othiyamallai project sites

By Miyako Hamasaka | PR Manager

The meeting members in Othiyamallai GND

JEN held a first meeting for participants of JEN’s program at Othiyamallai Grama Nidarari Division (Othiyamallai GND) on 7th July. From JEN’s side, an acting head of office, project officers, community workers, and field officers were participated in the meeting. Also, the participants, beneficiary selection committee members and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) they were particularly important members, were participated in the meeting. The main purpose was introducing JEN officials and explaining the participants our project content, and clarifying their objectives. JEN does feel, as a livelihood assistance project, the participants are able to know JEN’s project. We clearly explained then our livelihood recovery component and community strengthening part.

The participants insisted importance size of the well. This is because they are also very much interested to do cultivation in a dry season. In addition, they suggested completing the well construction work before end of a rainy season. They showed their eagerness to participate in the workshops.

The participants easily understood livelihood recovery part well. They raised questions on community strengthen parts. It seemed we needed to do more explain in this regard again. Basically, they welcomed our idea on formation of well maintains committee and cooperative society. This is because they realize collective works will strengthen their unity and support their income raise. They welcome our idea to establish food processing center in order to strengthen cooperative work. The participants humbly request, to establish the food processing center with basic facilities such as permanent water source and hygienically accepted building. They pointed out for the approval and starting process indicated facilities were important. The participants requested to include their ideas also when their plan communities’ strengthen part.

Furthermore, the participants requested us to include local human resources in the construction work as well. This is because they think that it will support them to earn daily wages and ensure work quality as well.

People expect at least three month follow up work with them soon after formation of cooperative society. JEN agrees with their idea in some extent. This is because registration of the cooperative society becomes a hard task nowadays. They need to back up to run in the starting period to earn income and lead to registration.

Overall, people are very much interested to support and participate in our program. They requested us to have regular meeting with them to discuss pros and cons of the project on time. It seems this is a good initiative to have good relationship with local communities and individuals.

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