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| Sunday, 18 December 2005 |
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Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Swiss goes all out to help tsunami hit ventures by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi Tsunami affected school buildings, houses and business concerns are being rebuilt in the south with the assistance of the private sector and several NGOs. A. Baur and Co. Ltd as a part of its relief program for tsunami affected and needy people in the island donated school furniture from Switzerland to Navajeevana, a community based rehabilitation program for those with disabilities at their head office at Tangalle last week. A Swiss company in Sri Lanka, A Baur and Co. Ltd, is rebuilding over 60 community centres and schools from Kalutara to Kirinda, at a cost of over Rs. 80 million. The Baurs Relief Fund is supported by the BAUR Foundation, VOLKART Foundation, several international suppliers of A. Baur and Co. Ltd, individuals and employees of the company. The school furniture was donated by various schools in Switzerland and the transport costs was met by A. Baur and Co. Ltd. Philippe ILG representing the Baur Foundation presented the school furniture on behalf of A. Baur and Co. Ltd to Ms. Kumarini Wickramasuriya, Directress of Navajeevana, Rudolf Gauhl and President of the Navajeevana Foundation in Switzerland. The Ex-Counsellor of the Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka welcomed the donors and representatives of A. Baur and Co. Ltd, at a ceremony to mark the occasion. Navajeevana has become the main service provider for the rehabilitation of people with disabilities in South Sri Lanka from 1987. At present Navajeevana Development Alternatives, an extended arm of Navajeevana focused on tsunami rehabilitation with a holistic approach has undertaken the reconstruction of fifty-five houses in Bogahahena at Pahajjawa. Explaining how Navajeevana undertakes a new role in the wake of the tsunami, Wickramasuriya said, that although initially the tsunami rehabilitation work was considered outside the scope of the organisation's core activities, the community based rehabilitation approach provides a platform to respond to the community's active support and involvement in the past nineteen years in the success of the community based rehabilitation programs for the disabled. Christoffel Blindernmission (CBM) commended Navajeevana's proposal for a model inclusive village to resettle displaced people in Kudawella. It is directed by Christine Lidzba of CBM, the project manager. According to the Director constructions, Engineer P. S. S. Nonis all houses will be handed over before the end of next month. Construction work is now in progress. In addition to the housing construction project the Navajeevana Development Alternatives has launched a development project to upgrade the socio economic conditions of the people in the Kudawella - fishery village which was destroyed by the tsunami. The UNESCO club and Friends of Kettwig have contributed to support thiryt-one day fishing boats, 43 engines and other fishing gear. According to the Directress of Socio Economic Development, NDA - Jayanthi Ramasingha, another program to restart tsunami destroyed enterprises is also under way in Kudawella. Under the first round of the project seven categories of tsunami destroyed businesses have been identified in Kudawella, namely shops, vehicles three-wheelers, push cycles fish sales centres, Diving, Communication centres, carpentry, masonry and tailoring shops. Push cycles, motor-cycles, freezer trucks, three-wheelers, land masters and shops were donated by the NDA to one hundred and seventy-seven tsunami affected businessmen. The Socio Economic Development Division of the NDA has drawn up plans for the sustainable development of the Kudawella fishery community. Programs such as dry fish making are being considered in collaboration with the Intermediate Technology Development, Group (ITDG) and Cathy Rich FoodProcessing organisation. The Navajeewana Development Alternatives (NDA) project working in collaboration is funded by the Christoffel Blind Mission (CBM) of Germany. |
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