New life for ex-combatants

By Shirajiu SIRIMANE

The winner of the Best Student Award receiving his certificate from the Minster, D.E.W. Gunasekara. President, FCCISL, Kosala Wickramanayake looks on.

Ex-combatants numbering 120 received a new lease of life when they completed a vocational training course to commence their own self employment projects in the North and the East.

In addition the ex-combatants received a tool kit and also a bank pass book with the savings from the pocket money received which would help them start their enterprise. Batches of thirty, followed courses in household electrical wiring, carpentry, masonry and welding.

"This would help them to kick start their own business when they go back to their villages," said Sam Stembo, National Project Director (NPD) Cheer Project, Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCISL).

This program is said to be the first of its kind to be organised by a Chamber in the world. The project was assisted by the European Union, OXFAM GB and the Government of Sri Lanka. Training was provided at the Handwerk Centre at Malegoda, Payagala with the technical assistance from Handwerkskammer Koblenz chamber in Germany.

The trainees were carefully selected for training by the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation based on their first preference of the vocation they want to be engaged in under normal circumstances.

They were also selected from districts in the North and the East where EU ACAP program is being implemented.

The Handwerkskammer Koblenz released their experts in welding and carpentry to supervise training at the centre.

"FCCISL CHEER project has made the efforts of the Government to rehabilitate the ex-combatants simple and also have proved to the world that Sri Lanka could handle effectively and efficiently such rehabilitation programs said to be complicated and difficult," said Minister of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms, D. E. W. Gunasekera, who was the chief guest.

President, FCCISL, Kosala Wickramanayake said that the FCCISL was the first chamber in the country, along with the support and assistance of the member chambers in Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Mannar to formally build capacity for one hundred and twenty ex-combatants, who are currently under the Bureau of Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, to pursue their choice of economic activity.

The hundred hour training sessions were, residential and conducted at the Handwerk Centre in Malegoda, Payagala situated in the premises of the Malegoda Pushparama Maha Viharaya. The Chief Incumbent of the Maha Viharaya Venerable Malegoda Nantha Nayaka Thera encouraged the ex combatants to participate at various functions and religious ceremonies at the Viharaya, strengthening their bonds with the Sinhalese communities, for many trainees it was the very first such experience.

These trainees will receive further on-the-job training under Army Engineers. On the completion of their rehabilitation they will be re-integrated to the society under the direction and supervision of the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation. The trainees would also received an internationally valid certificate of vocational education, experience certification and certification of clearance from the Sri Lanka Army and are in a position to secure jobs within their communities or even secure jobs overseas with further experience.

Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army and former Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Major General Daya Rathnayaka, said that these students came to the custody of the army for no fault of theirs. "They feared death when they came in.

Today thanks to FCCISL and the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, through love and care extended to them, they have become part of the society," he said.

Willy Vandenberghe, Head of Operations, European Union and delegation to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Guest of Honour on the occasion said that he was so happy to be part of the rehabilitation effort under the EU-ACAP project, with an overall commitment to the extent of Rs. 7 billion.