SUCCESS STORIES
Making a difference—the evidence of success
New Schools, Hospital Lay Foundation for Community Recovery in Sri Lanka
Working with USAID and U.S. Pacific Command to build peace in Eastern Province

Sri Lanka has been wracked by civil war for more than 20 years. Thousands of people in the eastern half of the country, caught in the middle of fighting between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), have lost their ability to live normal lives. Many abandoned their homes and communities, sometimes never to return.

Compounding the crisis, the December 2004 tsunami devastated much of Sri Lanka’s eastern coastline and further victimized an already beleaguered populace in the Eastern Province.

In July 2008, the government of Sri Lanka regained control of the province and began stabilizing the region; since January 2009, DAI has contributed to that stabilizing mission by breaking ground on eight rehabilitation projects that will strengthen the foundations of hard-hit communities.

Working for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and using funding from U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), DAI has begun refurbishing 5 schools in Trincomalee District and 1 hospital and 2 schools in Batticaloa District. Work is scheduled to be finished in July, when the structures will begin welcoming new students, patients, and staff.

USAID/Sri Lanka Mission Director Rebecca Cohn, speaking at a January 12 ceremony at Pulipanjakal School, noted the challenges that local students and teachers there have had to overcome. “This school was heavily damaged by fighting in 2006, leaving the five
classrooms unusable and the school surrounded by landmines,” Cohn said. “The landmines have been cleared, and now it is safe for children to play, but still the school condition is not satisfactory.

“That is why USAID will construct 10 new classrooms, doubling the size of the school. These renovations will create more space, so that students have a clean, safe, and inspiring place to learn each day.”

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Conant, PACOM’s director of strategic planning and policy, made similar observations at the January 16 groundbreaking for Illangaithurai Mugathuvaram School. “Five years ago, this school was the primary place of education for over 700 students from the first to 12th grades, serving a vital role in the prosperity of this community,” Conant said. “Tragically, it suffered first from years of conflict, and then severe damage in the 2004 tsunami so that only seven of its 26 classrooms are fully functional today.

“The Eastern Province has great potential for growth,” Conant continued. “However, to nurture that potential, we need healthy, educated people living in stable communities. We believe that rebuilding these key facilities in small communities is the best way to bring people together to recover from conflict.”

The projects are part of the DAI-implemented Sri Lanka Transition Initiatives Program, which is building support for the peace process among the citizenry and increasing collaboration among diverse groups to set and address priority needs at the local level. To ensure positive results, DAI is fostering community participation and ownership in the construction, and engaging the local and regional government authorities responsible for serving these communities.

Maj. Gen. Conant noted at the January 16 ceremony that the Department of Defense was pleased to use its Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid appropriation for such a peacebuilding project in PACOM’s area of responsibility. “I want to thank the U.S. Agency for International Development and their partners at DAI for implementing this important project, as well as national, provincial, and local government authorities for your collaboration on this project,” Conant said. “Today we are just breaking ground, but thanks to all of our efforts, we can be sure of the successful refurbishment of this school and this community.”

Through its offices in Colombo, Trincomalee, Ampara, Matara, and Batticaloa, SLTI has funded 600 grants worth $30 million. SLTI partners and grantees include local government entities, nongovernmental organizations, community-based organizations and, to a lesser extent, international nongovernmental organizations, chambers of commerce, trader and farmer associations, student groups, and the media.

Some of these partners would not necessarily meet the financial or institutional requirements of other international donors; DAI engages with them in activities that build constituencies for a lasting peace while ensuring compliance with USAID regulations by using an in-kind funding mechanism.



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Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Conant at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new school.
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