EU partners UNOPS and UNICEF to mark World Water Day
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) supported by the European Union,
conducted a series of awareness raising and community participation
activities in Mannar and Vavuniya townships to mark World Water Day.
These activities form an integral part of the financial assistance
that is provided through the EU Support to District Development Program
(EU-SDDP) with a total financial envelope of EUR 60 million. The program
aims at supporting the Government's thrust for economic and social
development in seven conflict-affected districts covering half a million
people.
The activities that took place were spread across the four days and
included shramadhana activities at community level, and art competitions
for school children.
In Mannar, activities were carried out to raise awareness among
community members and schoolchildren about the importance of water and
the role of the community in preserving a clean and safe environment.
As disposal of household garbage into ponds and drains, has
contributed to frequent flooding in residential areas, UNOPS worked with
the Mannar Urban Council to raise awareness on the issue and in building
consensus regarding its maintenance.
Activities also included an exercise to clean up the ponds and drain
networks through a shramadhana program where over 250 volunteering
community members participated.
Art competitions were also organised on the theme of 'Water and
Sustainable Development' with the participation of 83 students from six
schools in Mannar and 230 school children in Vavuniya participated.
The children's participation was recognized at a public event, where
representatives from UNICEF and UNOPS highlighted the importance of
educating people on environmental issues and the value of safe access to
water and sanitation.
Community members were invited to actively participate in the
maintenance of the cities, with special emphasis on public
infrastructure related to water and waste management.
An awareness session was also held at the Vavuniya Saivapragasa
Ladies College for more than 1,200 students and 30 teachers. The UNOPS
team in Vavuniya also cooperated with the Irrigation Department to
organise a
shramadhana activity to clean a local irrigation channel where 50
farmers from the Pavatkulam irrigation scheme farmer organisation took
part.
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