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| Sunday, 20 July 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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by Neomi Kodikara
Opportunities. They mark the difference between the children from the developed countries and developing countries. Two young representatives from the Norwegian Operation Day's Work (ODW), a campaign which supports educational projects in developing countries are here to lend a helping hand to Sri Lankan children and youth to realise their dreams by overcoming lack of opportunities. Every year for the past 40 years, lasting nine days in October most of Norwegian school students between the ages of 13 to 19 attend different kinds of information activities that give them knowledge about developing countries. On the ninth, the last day of the programme about 120,000 students from about 850 schools do various kinds of odd jobs and the money they earn goes to support the education of less privileged youth in developing countries.
Three representatives, two from ODW and one from the Development Fund, a Norwegian NGO were in Sri Lanka for 16 days to learn about the country. Nineteen-year-old Sunniva Pettersen Eidsvoll, President of ODW feels that the local youths are displeased about the rate the infrastructure facilities improve. "They expected a lot with the dawn of peace, but things happen at a snail's pace," she remarks. "However, what is notable is their undying hope and optimism towards the future," Andreas Kokkvoli Tveit, member of the National Committee of ODW joins Sunniva. Andreas also adds that many youths he encountered are sceptical about the peace process. "Instead of giving us sympathy give us opportunities, is their plea," Sunniva says. She feels that Sri Lanka has been selected at a crucial time when the country needs help. "With the progress of the peace process, it is high time for the country to begin development programmes, specially ones that aim at youth education." The student participants of the campaign decide every year by a referendum and a voting at the annual national congress of the Schoolstudents' Union of Norway, which country, which project the money is going to support and which Norwegian NGO should be in-charge of the project. This year the NGO will be the Development Fund which has been in Sri Lanka for nearly 20 years, mainly in Kegalle district and Uva province. The target group for the projects in Sri Lanka will mainly be school dropouts. The main goal is to give them an opportunity to vocational training in sustainable farming and different skills. Peace building and reconciliation will be an important and integrated part of the projects which will reach Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim teenagers. Most of the projects will be implemented in north-east, north central and Uva where school dropout rate is the highest. The school for organic farming in Kurunegala and ten study centres of the Open University will offer courses of organic agriculture. The project will begin in 2004 and continue for five years, with around 4 million USD which the campaign is expected to raise this year. ODW hopes to invite around 15 Svi Lankans to Norway for the campaign that will be held in October. According to K.A.J Kahandawa, Team Leader of Future in Our Hands Development Fund `Peace through sustainble farming' is the theme of the project. G. A. Prabath Kumara, Chief Co-ordinator for the Future in Our Hands said that ODW and the Development Fund which strongly support the peace process in Sri Lanka are working in co-operation with national and local NGOs in the country. The Centre for Human Development, Open University and Lanka Organic Agriculture Movement, Nertra, Comtec, Women's Development Centre, Kinya Vision and Tydup are the local partners who will join with them to conduct the programme. The campaign is financed by Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. |
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