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Tsunami displaced families in Galle :

Steady resettlement under way

by Lionel Yodhasinghe in Galle

Forces affiliated to Opposition parties are now at pains to mark 200 days since the tsunami. These forces have probably been mandated to strengthen the opposition campaign calling for an early Presidential election. Are the grievances of tsunami victims that are being publicised, only a means of achieving political mileage?.

Posters have been put up islandwide, questioning as to what the government has done to alleviate the lot of the tsunami affected, although 200 days have lapsed.

However, the reconstruction effort is a challenging prospect, as the numbers affected by the catastrophe are large. Legal and political snags have also stood in the way of the rebuilding effort. Amidst such stumbling blocks, building houses for the displaced is the urgent need, and apart from the Government programs, several NGOs are engaged in successful housing projects.

Grassroot level leaders have given rebirth to the community development council concept in Galle, thereby empowering nearly 614 families who became paupers instantaneously after the December 26 tsunami hit their city. Riding the crest of the killer waves, over 2900 people including children and elders who lived in shanties for generations, are today proud owners of decent houses with a floor area of 500 sq. feet.

The tsunami snatched away people and their property, irrespective of their social differences, and most of them lost their beloved ones as well as their life's savings. However, optimistic residents did not give up hope, as they saw thousands of sympathisers from around the world coming to their assistance. Community leadership, commitment of the individual beneficiary and their confidence in the benefactor, coupled with urgency has stood the pillars of success of a resettlement housing project at Siyambalagahawatte.

UN Habitat Rebuilding Community Infrastructure and Shelter Project (UNHRCISP), funded by the Government of Japan, is one of the first donors to join the country's rebuilding effort. The total cost of the entire project is Rs. 300 million and the allocation for the Galle project is Rs. 100 million.

Houses are being built under this program in several other areas within the Galle city limits, including Walauwatta, Kovilawatta, China Garden, Talapitiya, Katugoda and Magalle. The (UNHRCISP) runs similar projects to provide shelter for the tsunami displaced families in the Batticoloa, Kattankudy, Jaffna and Killinochchi areas too.

We lived in a shanty house for over 15 years, as we could not afford a permanent house, with my meagre income, said Ajith Kumara, a father of five children. A casual labourer, attached to a cement company, Kumara was the first beneficiary to occupy a house.

"I worked at the cement factory during the day, and at night I worked at home. My relatives helped me immensely and we were able to complete work within 20 days, as the necessary building materials were supplied in time by the CDC", Kumara said.

Their material as well as moral support encouraged us to continue work without a break and the result is a decent house, Kumara said.

His wife Teja Priyangika said that she was compelled to move over to a make-shift in a nearby temple after the tsunami, and she could not imagine how to return to life, as there was not a pittance saved for an emergency. The presence of UN officials with a proposal to build houses for us was a miracle, Priyangika said.

Shock, agony and chaos however did not disturb Priyangika's attempt to begin construction of the house. She was determined to rebuild: and she constantly encouraged her husband to organise work without delay and their untiring effort, supported by UN Habitat's assistance helped them reap the benefits within less than a month. Today, Kumara and Priyangika have become exemplary to the rest of the beneficiaries.

There were many NGOs engaged in providing relief to tsunami victims, when we reached in Galle. Many of them had given the task to contractors. Needless to say, that their priority was profit, than providing a shelter, the requirements of the victim, Project City Manager W. D. Samson said.

However, UN Habitat wanted to provide better houses, and they realised that contractors would not do it. Therefore they reintroduced the grass- roots level community participatory system, through the Community Development Council (CDC) to get the beneficiaries involved in the house building, he said.

"It was a challenge at the beginning, as many of them were reluctant to get involved in the labouring, but once it was started everybody understood that our system is ideal, as each family was able to build their own house, according to their own wishes," Technical Officer K. Tudor said.

"We wanted the beneficiaries to spend every cent frugally and correctly on the project, therefore, we insisted that the CDC officials monitor the progress of each beneficiary and report to us. Many of them followed the instructions and those who didn't, were handled very strategically, he said.

Under this system, we gathered information of needy families, and at a formal meeting of CDC members, we announced the names of the beneficiaries. Any objection was enquired into later, and a donation approved, City Engineer H. M. W. D. Herath said.

He said that the donation was categorised into three: damaged, repaired or completed buildings - Rs. 50,000, Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 250,000 respectively. Members with land disputes filed objections, and such cases are heldup until they settle the dispute. Many had settled them amicably, realising the circumstances of the tsunami devastation.

UN Habitat adhered to this concept, as it works hard to get the maximum benefit out of the funds, and instances of misuse is reduced to zero level, as cash is not given to the beneficiary, Herath said. We pay personal attention to monitor the use of monies and the progress of the day's work, because we knew that certain beneficiaries were trying to misuse the money.

So we have taken every possible measure to use this money to fulfil the aim of the UN Habitat - which is a decent house for the tsunami displaced, CDC Secretary Hemantha Ranasinghe said.

"My 20-year service in the Sri Lanka Army stood good stead in managing people and organising work. I was a soldier in the Army where I did not have an opportunity to test my leadership skills but this gave me a good opportunity. As a disabled soldier, I get my monthly salary, therefore, I was able to work full time to make the project a success," he said.

My duties are unlimited. Among them are purchasing, managing people, maintaining accounts, solving conflicts and ensuring that the given target is achieved and accountability to UN Habitat officials that the project is moving smoothly, he said. CDC President Ranjith Ranasinghe said that his past experience in Sarvodaya and other organisations gave him the confidence and the courage for team work.

After all, this is our village, and when volunteers want to help us, we should not disappoint them. He said people who did not have any skills have learnt masonry and carpentry which has helped them engage in that trade later, and earn a living, which is another benefit they received out of this project.

Samson said that 1/3 of the cost of a house is labour, and these people were able to save that cost and use it to upgrade the construction. If they hired labour, they would not be able to complete a house of this type.

Our next effort is to introduce various cottage industries to them to enable them to earn a living. When asked how UN Habitat provides capital on such projects, he said that this was taken into consideration at the beginning and each CDC beneficiary was instructed to a compulsory saving of five percent of his grant for future use. The five percent could be a good capital for them to go for small time income ventures, he said.

ANCL TENDER- Platesetter

www.hemastravels.com

www.singersl.com

http://www.mrrr.lk/(Ministry of Relief Rehabilitation & Reconciliation)

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


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