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Children help each other to learn during music class.

Sewalanka Foundation’s Ampara Office has partnered with Save the Children Sri Lanka to create a better environment for children’s development in Mangalagama. This project is unique as it enables children to be facilitators for development within their own community.

Mangalagama, a village located 25km from Ampara along the boundary between Ampara and Batticaloa district, was severely affected by the conflict. Over the last decade, more than 200 people from the village and surrounding areas were killed due to violence. Many children lost their parents and were forced to become the family’s primary income-earner or live with extended families. During conflict times, villagers including children spent nights in the forest because of the fear of regular incursions.

The Community Development through Children’s Participation at Mangalagama project aims to simultaneously build the capacity of a Children’s Club and Mothers’ Club and provide basic infrastructure. The project was informed by three needs assessments carried out during July 2003 with three separate groups including a children’s group, a youth (between 18 and 25 years old) group, and a parents’ group.

‘Bright star Children’s Club’

As the Project Team states “the Children’s Club aims to provide a place for children, who are affected by the conflict, to get together and socialize with each other. The project is happy if children can enjoy themselves singing, drawing and playing with friends during the weekend.” As well as providing music and art classes, children can attend Tamil and English classes held by a local resource person – the kids are excited by the Tamil classes as it will enable them to talk with their peers in the next village. As part of the program, children’s enjoyment is paramount, so the teaching style is very different to normal school. For instance, children learn English by talking with their friends and singing English songs rather then by rope learning.

The new library has over 50 members and is managed by the children.

The Children’s Club activities also encourage a sense of community through developing skills in Leadership, First Aid, and Communication and Relationship Management. Thirty-two children attended Leadership training in August 2003 and the First Aid training was conducted by a local doctor. Sewalanka also conducts institutional development training for the club.Trained children are now more active and determined to carry on their activities.

All the activities of the club are discussed in the weekly meetings held every Saturday afternoon. The children have elected their own Chairperson and Secretary who guide the meeting with advice given on the process of decision making by a Sewalanka Field Officer and male and female volunteers. The club’s chairman, Chaminda states that, “..through the club’s activities, we including our friends are more confident to speak in front of friends, teachers and even visitors.”

Enhancing infrastructure

The project has renovated an existing library building which was built by Sumurdhi Government Department. The library now owned and managed by the children is 1km from the school. It is open every Sunday, has over 50 members. In addition, a Children’s Club building was constructed on two-acres of land released by Batticaloa district. This building now houses weekly meetings, lessons and training programs, the children have plans to establish volleyball and cricket courts in the grounds.

Exposure trips

The Children’s Club suggested exposure trips as an opportunity to visit different communities and better understand Sanskrit. So on 29 December 2003, 32 children under Grade 6 visited to Kandy to see the Dalada Maligawa (Buddhist Temple of the Tooth), Gadolatheniya (Buddhist Temple), Ambakke Dewale (Hindu Temple), Kandy Railway Station, Peredeniya Botanical Gardens and the Mahaweli Ganga (Mahaweli River). A trip is planned during March 2003 for senior students to visit Pollonnaruwa, Anuradapura, Dambulla and Colombo.

Mothers club: Bottom-up approach to improving impoverished economic status among mothers

The Mother’s Club receiving bookkeeping training.

The Mangalagama Sewa Society has approximately 40 mothers and runs a saving and credit program and business development training. The main source of income among villagers is seasonal and tends to be low and unstable, it is the cultivation of maize and beans during North-East monsoon season from November to February. In Mangalagama, 3/5 of families receive Sumurdhi (public assistance).

The society’s saving and credit programs form the basis for economic development in the village. It provides mothers low interest credit and an opportunity to save their money through a group meeting each week. As part of this project, seventeen mothers were trained in group saving in September 2003, and twenty-five mothers were trained in business development in January 2004. The interest produced from the credit program is used to run the Children’s Club and provide a salary for the preschool teachers in the village.

Project to continue into 2005

Children’s Club plans for 2004 and 2005 include the continuation of language, art and music classes, library enhancement, the construction of a computer centre and classes in computers and mathematics to be started. Also a Youth Club for 18-25 year-olds will be established in 2004 – assistance in managing a CBO, credit facilities and vocational and business development training will be provided. There will also be an HIV/AIDS awareness program. In addition, the mothers group will continue to be strengthened, business development training provided and 5 drinking water wells constructed for the village.

Mangalagama community and Sewalanka are excited that Save the Children will continue to support this innovative project that adopts an whole of village approach to community development.