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| Sunday, 21 March 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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U.S. funds clinic for Muslim IDPS in Puttalam James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, inaugurated a new polyclinic for internally displaced muslims and local community residents on the Kalpitiya Peninsula in Puttalam District on Thursday. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Office of Transition Initiatives, partnered with the Kalpitiya-based Islamic Relief Committee to construct the polyclinic that will serve both relocated Muslim IDPs and local families. The polyelinic will serve 802 Muslim IDP families from 11 relocated villages, as well as 728 Muslim, 93 Sinhalese and 80 Tamil families from five local villages. In total, this clinic will provide more than 5,000 people greater access to healthcare. USAID granted more than $34,000 to the Islamic Relief Committee to fund this polyclinic, which became a reality through the contributions of many other segments of the community. The local mosque committee donated land, IDPs and host-community residents from many communities provided labour, and the Ministry of Health agreed to pay for furniture as well as ongoing maintenance costs. Area mothers collected money for the connection of the electricity, and local youth helped clear the site and plant trees and shrubs around the building. "This USAID project helps fulfill a critical community need for the people of Puttalam District, while also strengthening the relationships between IDPs and local community members on Kalpitiya Peninsula," Entwistle said at the inauguration. "The collaborative effort of this activity is an example of how many communities working together can overcome obstacles and clearly demonstrate the benefits of peace." |
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