Women’s Project participants from Trincomalee and Jaffna, embarked recently on a field exposure visit to Hambantota, for many this adventure was the first time they have left their respective Districts.

Thangapuram CBO members give a warm welcome to World Bank and NDB delegates.

The two field study visits took place last quarter in July and September, with a total of 95 beneficiaries of the World Bank funded Social and Economic Empowerment of Women in the North and East of Sri Lanka Project (WEP) participating in the 3 day-programmes. The participants from Trincomalee were Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim from Peramaduwa – Kanthale DS, Nagar . The participants from Jaffna were Tamil women from Kytes and Allarai – Sinnamadhu.

The field visit aimed for participants to gain firsthand experience of the work completed by the Hambantota Women’s Devleopment Federation and the Janashakthi Bank; the partner project, being implemented in the South.

Participants learnt from the achievements, weaknesses, problems, strengths and successes of the project so far completed in the south. This included discussions at the Women’s Federation Society Centre, a field visit to the Janashakthi Bank built through the women’s efforts; and with meeting with small groups, community-based-organisations and successful entrepreneurs.

Ms Ganga Dissanayake, Sewalanka Women’s Coordinator, explained the benefits of the field exposure visit: “We have given many training programmes, but these women don’t have practical experience, or examples to draw upon. Many people from Hambantota were the poorest, they had no businesses, they had no money for personal savings or for their agricultural development. Now they have money, savings, and successful small businesses. These are strong women. It is a good experience for the Trincomalee and Jaffna women to meet these people, as they will soon start the same or similar activities. Now they have good knowledge.”

The visit also enabled participants to visit to Kataragama, Kirivehera, Murugan Kovil and the Mosque for devotions and to receive blessings.

 

World Bank and NDB visit Projects

Representatives from the WEP donor body, the World Bank, and its executing partner, the National Development Bank (NDB) made a special visit to project sites in the Trincomalee region on 13-14 August 2004 to meet project beneficiaries, and to see the project progress firsthand.

Project participants in the three Trincomalee villages of Alim Nagar, Thangapuram and Peramaduwa gave a special welcome to Ms Sriyani Hulugalle and Ms Malathi Rathnayake from the World Bank, and Mr A.L. Somaratne, Mr R.D. Abeywardena and Mr S Dorenegoda from NDB, along with Sewalanka Women’s Empowerment Unit staff.

In Peramaduwa village, 10 beneficiaries were pleased to accept the first loan instalment on behalf of their community-based-organisation, presented by the delegates, which will be used for initiating and strengthening their income generating activities. One lady had already built her home-based bakery in anticipation! A second cheque was presented to Sewalanka to initiate well construction in the village of Thangapuram. At present construction of five wells are underway in both Thangapuram and Peramaduwa villages.

This was the first time the delegates have visited the Trincomalee project sites. In February this year they visited the project sites of Jaffna. The participants appreciated the support from the donors and their active participation in the project.

>> For further information on Women’s Empowernment please contact:
Ms K. Nawaratne, Director – Women’s Empowernment Unit on 0)11 2545362-5