Socio - economic development of rural sector:

Gemidiriya scales greater heights

By Jaliya WIJEYEKOON

The development policy of the Government, envisioned in the Mahinda Chinthana policy framework, has focused special attention on the fundamental issues in Sri Lanka's economic development and the disparity between sectors and several government programs have been launched to bridge this gap. Gemidiriya is a novel concept introduced by government to address socio-economic grievances of the rural communities. It has shown tremendous progress over the last six years.

The Sunday Observer had an exclusive interview with the Project Director of Gemidiriya program S.K. Liyanage who proudly explained the steady progress made in the rural development sector of the country.

He said there is a huge difference in the level of development between the Western Province and the rest of the country.

Arch-shaped Poly-Net being constructed

Poly-Net nursery

Poverty is higher in other regions in comparison to the Western Province and inequality is growing day by day.

The biggest problem is the unemployment rate among youth. Lack of proper infrastructure, roads, water, community centres, ICT and communication facilities are other key issues among rural communities.

Gemidiriya has successfully addressed these issues in a large number of villages in nine districts and is ready to expand the project to other districts as well.

Gemidiriya follows the community Driven Development (CDD) model in the implementation of the project in a village. This has been recognised as a highly successful development model and has already been replicated in India, Nepal and Bangladesh in similar development projects funded by the World Bank.

Under the CDD model, 80 percent of the community of a village should participate in implementing Gemidiriya in their village. They form a registered company as their village organisation with over 50 percent of women and youth participation as office bearers of the various committees in the village organisation.

After the establishment of the Gemidiriya company in the village, they carry out a wealth ranking of the population and identify the poorest of the poor that should be assisted first. The financial allocation received by the Gemidiriya company is used to start income generating projects for the most vulnerable people, skills development of the youth, infrastructure development of the village and providing financial assistance for the projects proposed by the people of the area.

The project is operated by small groups and they save money in their groups and use it as a revolving fund. Gemidiriya creates business links among small entrepreneurs and farmers and guide them to shift from traditional consistency farming into commercial farming. There are thousands of success stories in this project. Gemidiriya has introduced new crops with high market demand which has improved the income of traditional farmers.

For instance, in Wellawaya and Buttala Gemidiriya farmers have started passion-fruit and pomegranate cultivations which bring them a high income. Gemidiriya has linked these farmers with supermarket chains or other affluent buyers in Colombo.

The Gemidiriya hub office in Madulla and Siyambalanduwa in the Moneragala district has changed traditional maize cultivation patterns the farmers had practised for generations. Today the farmers sign forward sales agreements with buyers before they cultivate the maize and therefore do not face the risk of fluctuating prices at harvesting periods. Maize cultivation has become a lucrative business in the district today, Liyanage said.

In infrastructure development, Gemidiriya has adopted a novel approach in the CDD model. The infrastructure development priorities are decided by the members of the community themselves instead of the usual top to bottom approach where bureaucrats or politicians in Colombo made the decisions. Also, the community contribute 20 percent of the cost of such infrastructure projects; 10 percent in cash and 10 percent in labour.

The first phase of this innovative project was started in the remotest villages in the Polonnaruwa district in 2004 with a US $ 51 million grant from the World Bank. A US $ 75 million loan has been given for phase two of the project. Gemidiriya will continue over 12 years until the targets are achieved in all districts of the country.

After reviewing the successful operation of the model.

Divi Neguma and Gama Neguma programs are also supporting the implementation of this program in the nine districts where GSCDLIP is operating. The project has targeted the launch of 100,000 domestic economic units (home gardens), Liyanage said. The Divi Neguma national program was launched in March 2011 and Gemidiriya co-ordinates the implementation of the Divi Neguma national program in addition to monitoring its own smooth functioning. We have the experience and expertise to successfully contribute to this national program, he said.

Under Gemidiriya phase one, a home gardening project was successfully carried out by beneficiaries as livelihood sub-projects. Under this project, an environment will be created for the families to fulfil their food requirements, improve nutrition and earn a stable monthly income.

Liyanage said "to achieve our chief objective of providing the socio-economic standards of under-privileged people in the country, we had carried out and still are in the process of continuing the awareness programs, training camps and different community development activities. Interaction with people of other areas and getting them involved in building their future is another important aspect of our vision.

"We had introduced novel, innovative and micro methods to rural folk to increase their harvest in crops and produce.

Educating rural youth and dispelling their fear psychosis in venturing into new horizons is very important according to our surveys conducted from time to time".

The Gemidiriya program was introduced in Ratnapura and Kegalle districts early last year and the response it gained from the rural public of these two districts was commendable. "We have appointed district engineers and other officers to give guidelines to all stakeholders in achieving the desired results," he said.

Kuruwita in the Ratnapura district and Deraniyalala in the Kegalle district are two of the Pradeshiya Sabha areas that we have selected for financial assistance in launching the second stage of the Gemidiriya program.

Apart from socio-economic development of rural folk the inter-communal harmony is also strengthened by the Gemidiriya program to a great extent.

We invite the rural folk from Northern and Eastern provinces to witness the projects initiated by people in other provinces and youth from those provinces are sent to study the projects of Northern rural folk by which they establish mutual understanding and sometimes life long friendship.

"Gemidiriya has been recognised as a productive and effective program in the implementation of the government's forward march in socio-economic development and it will continue for years to come until we cover all districts in the country," he said.