Project background

The project targets three villages in Galewala Divisional Sectretariat: Meewalapataha, Thalakiriyagama and Ibbankatuwa.

At the start of the project, the total population of Meewalapataha was 993, living in 319 families. There were 498 females and 495 males. 250 families were engaged in farming. Only a few people work in other areas: 8 people work in the government sector, 20 in the garment industry and 15 people have joined the forces.

Sixty per cent of the houses are permanent, twenty five per cent are half completed and fifteen percent are temporary. The temporary and semi-permanent houses built in the 1960s were converted to permanent houses in the 1980s. Cultivating vegetables and tobacco in the Yala season has contributed to an increase in income for the farmer. This encourages the farmer to build permanent houses. There is an improvement in the lifestyle of families, which has contributed towards the rapid change in the social outlook of the people. Those who do not have sufficient land, and those who are existing at subsistence level are the owners of temporary and semi permanent houses.

The situation is similar in the other two target villages.

The Trust is working with the Human Development Foundation (HDF) who it has worked with successfully on the Samarakoon Watta and Telwatta projects. There are no other NGOs working in these three villages. However, the local government is becoming more proactive but has limited funds to provide basic services.

The other areas in which the government and HDF’s activities may overlap is via the MOH, and in agriculture. There are plans to begin a programme of local and regional markets for village communities to sell their produce in early 2009. There will be twice weekly markets at a local level followed by a regional market once a month providing an opportunity to develop contacts with national sellers as well as an opportunity to sell local good. These government initiatives should not conflict with this project’s activities, rather they should compliment the proposed microcredit and vocational training programmes and will enable HDF to work closely with stakeholders and provide further opportunities for the community itself to engage with important stakeholders.