25th November, 2005
FLOOD DEVASTATION AT KILINOCHCHI, SRI LANKA, DUE TO
HEAVY SEASONAL TORRENTS.
Attention: All support groups, friends and colleagues
Dear Friends,
Soon after the Presidential Election in Sri Lanka, the
heavy seasonal rain continuously pours for the last
three days, filling all the tanks in the provinces and
major towns in the south and north due to the
depression in the Bay of Bangal. The people living in
the low land areas near the rivers and canals
evacuated their houses for danger of torrents released
from the major tank – Iranamadhukulam.
According to the District Secretariat, about 12,000
families are living in the schools as displaced from
their homes.
We are afraid, if this torrential rain continues until
the end of December, the poor people may die of hunger
and the medical supplies not reaching them until the
roads become better for transportation.
This is a disaster-preparedness arrangement for the
affected disabled, living in all the divisions in the
Kilinochchi district.
We hope, that your support for this programme would
enable us to help the most affected disabled whom
KAROD – Kilinochchi has to care for.
We appreciate your fullest support.
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely,
Flood devastation in the Kilinochchi district
This is to report the general climatic condition,
after the presidential election, the continuous
seasonal shower for the last 3 days and as a result
the entire areas FLOODED due to the filling of tanks.
The whole of Sri Lanka, including the capital city of
Colombo – and other towns in the south, Matara, Galle,
Negombo – and in the North and East, Trinco,
Batticoloa, Jaffna and Kilinochchi have seen the mass
of flooded water, made the people to suffer.
It is reported, in the Jaffna district, 31 Grame
sevake divisions were flooded, including Vaddamarachi,
Vallikamam and Thenmarachchi and the people were
displaced.
In the Kilinochchi district, due to the unprecedented
heavy shower for the last 3 days; have filled all the
major tanks – Iranaimadhukulam, Akkarayankulam,
Maniankulam, Kalmadhukulam and Vannerikulam and other
minor tanks and made all the people to evacuate their
houses in the low lying areas of Paravippanchan,
Vannerikulam, Paranthan and some villages in the
Kandawalai division.
In the Kilinochchi district, in Poonagary division 792
families were displaced; in Karachchi division 2,466
families; in Kandawalai division 2,929 families and in
Palai division 510 families were displaced. As the
families were unable to live in their homes due to
water creped into their houses. They were sheltered
in the 16 schools. About 300 TRO volunteers have
rescued the families from the overwhelming flood
water. The
Government Agent has appealed all the NGOO to help the
displaced people. The normal travelling and transport
to these places are cut down; and the people were
unable to go to their relatives and friends. Due to
the Akkarayankulam and the spill of water; about 300
meters long road areas are under water and the people
are unable to come to Kilinochchi town. About 10 feet
deep water is rushing in these places. About 11,000
homes were affected by the water gushing through their
floor, making them unable to use it for normal work.
In Mullaitivu district, some of the villages are
severely affected due to flood water. In Mullaitivu,
about 17,460 people were affected. In Colombo, 6
persons died due to houses collapsed due to heavy
rain.
KAROD has its experience serving the people in
disaster; normally, our relief services include dry
ration and non food items to the people affected by
calamities in the areas where government and other
NGOO not helping the people. Our services also
limited to disabled persons who lack support from
other NGOO. The dry ration contains basic foodstuff
such as rice, dhall, tinfish, sugar, milkpowder and
tea. The non food items are, mats, bed spreads, bed
sheets, clothes, cooking utensils, lanterns, matches,
soap and water cans. The total cost may rise up to
Rs. 2,000 per family. The food and non food items are
available in retail shops in Kilinochchi. CDO’s could
identify the most affected family or person in their
areas; and distribution could effect, Field Officers
organizing the delivered items to the beneficiaries in
our own vehicles, when the roads become normal.
We are making arrangements to pick about 1,000
affected families who urgently need assistance in all
the divisions as a first step to give relief.
As a total cost, we may need Rs. 2,160,000.00 (21,600
US.DOLLARS) including transport and administrative
charges.
KAROD has its funds assisted by Donor Agencies for
Programmes – Normally the end of December augments
exhausted funds with the final statement. In this
period, the new project proposals to be prepared for
the next year.
Besides, the displacement, there are people who have
lost their paddy cultivation; after spending a large
sum of monies borrowed or otherwise, started
cultivating their small plots to earn an income to
support their families; hopelessly seen their fruit of
the toil submerging in the water.
At this juncture, we look forward for the Relief
assistance to the needs of the most affected families
and disabled persons in our areas and appeal to your
most sympathetic considerations and munificent support
for our Relief Services at this hour of dire need.
Our Bankers are Commercial Bank Ltd., Vavuniya Branch,
Sri Lanka and our Account Number is: 1610066402, the
Swift Code is CCEYLKLX.
Our contact person is Rev. Sr. Lourdes Joseph,
Director, KAROD, Kilinochchi and the telephone number
is 0212285784 – email – mljoseph5@yahoo.com.
Report sent by: Mr. S. A. Leo / Mr. Mugunthan / Mr.
Noel
KAROD, Kilinochchi.
Signed by: Sr. Lourdes Joseph
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
KAROD - Our Story
The violent conflict in the North and East of Sri Lanka for the last 2 decades has largely ceased following the signing of the Memorandum Of Understanding between the Government of SriLanka and the Tamil separatist group the LTTE in 2002. Although the situation is calm the restrictions in mobility, communication and access to social facilities has yet to improve to really cater to the affected people. The physically impaired and mentally retarded are not able to receive proper treatment or to receive assistance to remedy their disabilities. The hospitals that exist in the District of Kilonochchi are confined to the town areas. The rural communities have no transport facilities to attend hospitals for treatment. The available public transport system is weak and, with higher charges imposed, the poor refrain from travelling. There were no facilities exist in the areas for regular treatment especially for the differently-abled.
However in Kilinochchi district today there are two institutions which offer a service so some of the differently-abled. One is Vetti Manai, which serves mentally impaired women who have no one to take care of them. The second is an organization called the White pigeon, which provides orthopedic appliances to the many war disabled people. The central Government is largely absence from this region and has yet to develop any special program for the differently-abled. There are also no international agencies with specific programs in Kilinochchi to assist differently-abled. Many of these agencies do consider differently-abled as a first priority for assistance in selected locations but none have special programs for them.
In this context the differently-abled people frequently loose faith in becoming like others and building self-confidence to overcome the physical handicaps that nature or war have bestowed on them. The caretaker family also tends to think that the differently-abled are a burden from nature and so often treat differently-abled as objects or sick people. The identity of the differently-abled in the community was fading away and psychological trauma and stress was increasing until KAROD was born.
KAROD, started by a group of differently-abled people in 1990, is now the only organization concentrating on their needs with special activities for those with disabilities and livelihood facilities for the caretaker family. KAROD helps create awareness in the wider community, provides counseling, relief assistance, education, medical assistance and income generation activities. Every 2 years, when fund permit. KAROD also hosts a local para-Olympic games.
The main cause of poverty in this region is that the materials needed to build livelihood resources were lost or destroyed during the violent conflict. Now the cessation of hostilities has enabled the wider community to re-build its lost assets but they are not properly mobilized to take the differently-abled along with them. These differently-abled, who have lost their natural powers are not easily able to realize that they have alternative abilities within themselves to help them overcome their disaster situation. They were in turn often excluded from community level activities the thinking behind this being that they were powerless unable people.
Politically the present trend shows little difference with neglect shown by the political masters who seem to consider differently-abled as a minor priority in their rehabilitation strategies. The community, displaced by the war, is in the process of returning home and trying to develop urgent livelihood sources. Technical knowledge is being given to these returnees helping them to establish sustainable development livelihoods. But the differently-abled have not been taken into account with technical assistance to suit their existing abilities. This trend in the district makes the differently-abled vulnerable to poverty, marginalization and powerlessness. They can be considered as excluded from the broader community based development
Yet there are positive trends towards the differently-abled. From previous experiences of the KAROD programs it is demonstrated that with counselling and necessary awareness raising, which helps build self-confidence, the differently-abled can attain skills comparable to that of an ordinary person and can be enabled to execute or participate in many community level activities. Once confident that they can create attitudinal changes in the community differently-abled are stimulate to find ways of building their own livelihood sources.
There are still a number of barriers identified that prevents the effective development of the differently-abled community. The culture of the wider community is still not to expose the disability to outsiders. The differently-abled member’s family feels that the disability is a type of disease that cannot be overcome. The people themselves have no idea about the alternative powers they have within them.
In this situation KAROD is making a real difference. The organization has been working with the differently-abled in the Kilinochchi District since 1995. KAROD’s Board members come from the differently-abled community and there is a real sense of ownership of ‘their organization. KAROD’s village volunteers are concentrating on helping their village beneficiaries raise awareness and explored all possible assistance with them to overcome their bodily restrictions or to improve their coping mechanism.
KAROD is the only organization which really gets in-touch with the differently-abled at village level. The staff are exposed to frequent training in how to manage disabilities, develop alternative abilities and to establish realistic rehabilitation programmes. But more capacity building and skills development is needed to enable KAROD to deliver better and more effective programs, Sister Lourdes, of the Holy Family Congrgation, the present Director of KAROD says, ‘the fact that not one beggar has to sit on the A9 Road thorough Kilonochchi to Jaffna is clear evidence that despite the troubles faced by the differently-abled KAROD has played a major role in ensuring that people no longer beg for assistance to survive, a common sight on the streets of Colombo’.
However in Kilinochchi district today there are two institutions which offer a service so some of the differently-abled. One is Vetti Manai, which serves mentally impaired women who have no one to take care of them. The second is an organization called the White pigeon, which provides orthopedic appliances to the many war disabled people. The central Government is largely absence from this region and has yet to develop any special program for the differently-abled. There are also no international agencies with specific programs in Kilinochchi to assist differently-abled. Many of these agencies do consider differently-abled as a first priority for assistance in selected locations but none have special programs for them.
In this context the differently-abled people frequently loose faith in becoming like others and building self-confidence to overcome the physical handicaps that nature or war have bestowed on them. The caretaker family also tends to think that the differently-abled are a burden from nature and so often treat differently-abled as objects or sick people. The identity of the differently-abled in the community was fading away and psychological trauma and stress was increasing until KAROD was born.
KAROD, started by a group of differently-abled people in 1990, is now the only organization concentrating on their needs with special activities for those with disabilities and livelihood facilities for the caretaker family. KAROD helps create awareness in the wider community, provides counseling, relief assistance, education, medical assistance and income generation activities. Every 2 years, when fund permit. KAROD also hosts a local para-Olympic games.
The main cause of poverty in this region is that the materials needed to build livelihood resources were lost or destroyed during the violent conflict. Now the cessation of hostilities has enabled the wider community to re-build its lost assets but they are not properly mobilized to take the differently-abled along with them. These differently-abled, who have lost their natural powers are not easily able to realize that they have alternative abilities within themselves to help them overcome their disaster situation. They were in turn often excluded from community level activities the thinking behind this being that they were powerless unable people.
Politically the present trend shows little difference with neglect shown by the political masters who seem to consider differently-abled as a minor priority in their rehabilitation strategies. The community, displaced by the war, is in the process of returning home and trying to develop urgent livelihood sources. Technical knowledge is being given to these returnees helping them to establish sustainable development livelihoods. But the differently-abled have not been taken into account with technical assistance to suit their existing abilities. This trend in the district makes the differently-abled vulnerable to poverty, marginalization and powerlessness. They can be considered as excluded from the broader community based development
Yet there are positive trends towards the differently-abled. From previous experiences of the KAROD programs it is demonstrated that with counselling and necessary awareness raising, which helps build self-confidence, the differently-abled can attain skills comparable to that of an ordinary person and can be enabled to execute or participate in many community level activities. Once confident that they can create attitudinal changes in the community differently-abled are stimulate to find ways of building their own livelihood sources.
There are still a number of barriers identified that prevents the effective development of the differently-abled community. The culture of the wider community is still not to expose the disability to outsiders. The differently-abled member’s family feels that the disability is a type of disease that cannot be overcome. The people themselves have no idea about the alternative powers they have within them.
In this situation KAROD is making a real difference. The organization has been working with the differently-abled in the Kilinochchi District since 1995. KAROD’s Board members come from the differently-abled community and there is a real sense of ownership of ‘their organization. KAROD’s village volunteers are concentrating on helping their village beneficiaries raise awareness and explored all possible assistance with them to overcome their bodily restrictions or to improve their coping mechanism.
KAROD is the only organization which really gets in-touch with the differently-abled at village level. The staff are exposed to frequent training in how to manage disabilities, develop alternative abilities and to establish realistic rehabilitation programmes. But more capacity building and skills development is needed to enable KAROD to deliver better and more effective programs, Sister Lourdes, of the Holy Family Congrgation, the present Director of KAROD says, ‘the fact that not one beggar has to sit on the A9 Road thorough Kilonochchi to Jaffna is clear evidence that despite the troubles faced by the differently-abled KAROD has played a major role in ensuring that people no longer beg for assistance to survive, a common sight on the streets of Colombo’.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
