Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

FROM THE FIELD

Sri Lanka: Building a bright future in Batticaloa
29 May 2009 09:24:00 GMT
 Source: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland
Rishani Wijesinghe, Communications Manager, International Federation in Sri Lanka

Website: Website: http://www.ifrc.org/tsunami

218536 logo
The Red Cross Red Crescent has pledged 28.8 million Swiss francs to the community recovery and reconstruction partnership. To date, 4,000 houses in Kalutara, Jaffna, Ampara and south Batticaloa have been completed, while 1,450 houses in Vaharai and Echilampattu in northern Batticaloa will be finished within the next month. (p-LKA0356)
Previous | Next
The Red Cross Red Crescent has pledged 28.8 million Swiss francs to the community recovery and reconstruction partnership. To date, 4,000 houses in Kalutara, Jaffna, Ampara and south Batticaloa have been completed, while 1,450 houses in Vaharai and Echilampattu in northern Batticaloa will be finished within the next month. (p-LKA0356)
International Federation

Background

•  Disaster risk reduction

•  Indian Ocean tsunami

•  Earthquakes

MORE >>
Proud homeowners stand outside their brightly colored houses in Thetativu, Batticaloa District. The rows of bright blue, orange, green and pink houses stand out in sharp contrast to the stark, almost barren landscape, yet they mark a return to normalcy for families whose homes, livelihoods and financial capital were destroyed in the tsunami.

Economic development has accompanied the construction of the community. In some of the homes rooms have been converted into grocery shops, while one resident has set up a bicycle repair business in his front yard. Most families have started home-gardens for growing vegetables.

The 86 houses built in Thetativu have been constructed under the "Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership" - the owner-driven housing programme initiated by the Red Cross Red Crescent over three years ago to help families rebuild after the tsunami.

Decision-making

With funding from the British Red Cross and technical support provided by UN Habitat, the families at Thetativu not only constructed their own homes, they also participated in every step of the decision-making process. The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society was involved in mobilizing the community and instrumental in setting up a community development council, which was registered under the local Pradeshiya Sabha (government agency).

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, together with technical officers from UN Habitat, would meet regularly with the community development council to help guide families through the construction process.

The sense of ownership that families enjoy under the community recovery and reconstruction partnership programme is evident - not only through the personal touches such as the colours chosen for their homes, but through the spirit of cooperation that exists amongst the community members. It is in the community's best interests to work together as the housing grants are disbursed only when everyone has reached the same stage of the construction process.

Community resettlement

The programme also looks towards the longer term resettlement of these communities rather than just the provision of their basic needs. Under the community recovery and reconstruction partnership, 93 Swiss francs per beneficiary is earmarked for various community infrastructure projects that the community development council identifies, such as internal gravel roads, drainage ditches and communal wells.

Furthermore, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society is working with the community development councils to provide trainings ranging from first aid to leadership skills.

The Red Cross Red Crescent has pledged 28.8 million Swiss francs to the community recovery and reconstruction partnership. To date, 4,000 houses in Kalutara, Jaffna, Ampara and south Batticaloa have been completed, while 1,450 houses in Vaharai and Echilampattu in northern Batticaloa will be finished within the next month.

Discover where this story takes place (requires Google Earth installed): http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/09/09052801/thetativu-en.kmz

En francais: Sri Lanka : Un avenir meilleur pour Batticaloa - http://www.ifrc.org/fr/Docs/News/09/09052801/index.asp

En espanol: Sri Lanka: Forjando un futuro lleno de promesas en Batticaloa - http://www.ifrc.org/sp/Docs/News/09/09052801/index.asp


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Email this article       Send comments

Topics

•  Crises poll 2005

•  Disaster risk reduction

•  Earthquakes

•  Media & Humanitarianism

•  Politics of Aid

•  Working in Relief

MORE >>

Emergencies

•  Indian Ocean tsunami

MORE >>

Members

•  International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Sri Lanka: Building a bright future in Batticaloa
IFRC - Switzerland

•  Honduras: ACT mobilises in response to major quake
ACT - Switzerland

•  First-Aid in the Caribbean
Johanniter Intl - Germany

•  Older Zimbabweans lose life savings
HelpAge Intl - UK

•  Time to wake up and smell the climate change
DanChurchAid - Denmark

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Aid partners approve $804.5 mln for Mozambique budget

•  Vietnam says ready to ratify UN corruption charter

•  Over 20,000 died in S.Lanka rebels' defeat-paper

•  Video: Quake strikes Honduras

•  Big quake off Honduras kills 6, crumbles houses

MORE >>

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

Briefings
Indian Ocean tsunami - [Who works where]

Topics
Crises poll 2005 Disaster risk reduction Earthquakes Feature Media & Humanitarianism Politics of Aid Working in Relief
Facts & figures
Sri Lanka

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Aid partners approve $804.5 mln for Mozambique budget (1 minute ago)

Vietnam says ready to ratify UN corruption charter (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Aid agencies struggle as soaring global needs outpace funding (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Sri Lanka: Building a bright future in Batticaloa (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Ask your questions: Putting aid work on the map (1 minute ago)

Maps
 Newly erected IDP shelters located within New Safety Zone (NSZ) - Mulattivu District, Sri Lanka (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-05-29T002005Z_01_HND10_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HONDURAS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HND10.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-05-29T001659Z_01_HND08_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HONDURAS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HND08.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-05-28T210325Z_01_HND003_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HONDURAS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HND003.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-05-28T210152Z_01_HND005_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HONDURAS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HND005.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-05-28T210030Z_01_HND060_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-HONDURAS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/HND060.htm

Honduras President Manuel Zelaya walks outside the court of justice building after an earthquake in San Pedro Sula May 28, 2009. A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook Honduras on Thursday, killing ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Fri May 29 09:27:51 2009