Recalling battered, Northern lives to life
BY CHANDANI Jayatilleke in Jaffna
Gnana Sivapathasundaram - to address people’s needs
|
THE fishermen in Cheddipulam, a village in Kayts, are looking forward
to rebuilding their lives which were shattered by the prolonged conflict
in the country.
Having returned to their native village after the truce, all that
they want now is some support for housing and fishing.
Three hundred families who had returned to the village of Cheddipulam.
Prior to the conflict there were 500 families. Most of the families in
this village were displaced in the 1990s following the fighting and
lived in various places such as Mannar.
However, following the truce, the villagers gradually returned after
they were convinced it was safe to do so.
Thavamani - help needed |
On the way to this village recently we noticed, some of the houses
which were damaged had already been repaired. Every now and then roofs
with new tiles and a new coat of paint appeared.
Although they had begun fishing on a small scale, the villagers say
that business is not as good as earlier. Their catch is basically
purchased by traders from Jaffna who visit the village.
In another village - Theriaddy in the Tellipalai AG division, we met
a farming community who lamented that their houses and livelihoods are
badly affected and they need support for housing and developing
agricultural lands.
Many returnees are of the view that they have been given step
motherly treatment by the authorities including several foreign
donor/support agencies and NGOs based in Jaffna.
Rasamma - needs house |
"Various representatives, both local and foreign visit our village
and collect information, promising to help rebuild our lives, but none
has done something fruitful so far," said one villager when we visited
this village.
The whole village gathered at the tiny community centre - the only
facility in the village - for a discussion with the officials of the
European Commission, UNDP and the media.
During this session, the villagers brought out various problems that
they have been facing over the last two decades at the height of the
conflict.
They have not got any support from the LTTE either, the villagers
said.
They were agitated that the focus now is on the tsunami victims and
they have been promised houses and all other facilities within a short
time. "We have lived in camps and suffered much due to the war for over
20 years. Bur yet, our issues have not been addressed," they said.
Villagers in Teriaddy |
Another issue they brought out was the anomaly in housing allowance
for the war victims and the tsunami victims. While the persons who lost
their houses during the war would get only Rs.250,000, the tsunami
victims would receive up to Rs. one million. "This is very unfair," the
villagers said.
For farming, though it is limited to a few areas, the villagers said
they had not received the fertiliser subsidy.
"The fertiliser is quite expensive and we cannot bear the cost. When
we ask the authorities they say it may be due to high taxes charged by
the LTTE when the stocks are being transported to Jaffna," a villager
said.
These villagers were displaced in 1992 and they returned only after
the A9 was opened, following the truce.
Fishermen - up against challenges |
Landmines litter the borders of the village and around the wells.
Halo Trust has started clearing landmines, yet the work gets hampered as
there is a shortage of labour. And it is dangerous and difficult to
remove landmines, the villagers said.
Some villagers have opted to clear the mines on their own, despite
the risks involved. They are not trained in unearthing and defusing
mines, leaving them vulnerable to accidents. "But, we have no other
option," one villager said.
There are 72 families living in this village, at present. They lack
even the most basic facilities for a humble living, such as water for
drinking and bathing and lavatories. There is a school and a montessori
in the village. However, the facilities at the school are virtually
non-existent.
A group of villagers have set up a society to support other villagers
in the rebuilding process. Now they lament that although there is a
society, and its representatives continue to meet various organisations
that have pledged to assist them, they had not been able to do anything
for the benefit of the villagers so far.
"In fact the fellow villagers are of the view that we gain everything
for ourselves and had not passed down the benefits to them as we
continue to meet different officials, with no use. But that is not the
truth. Simply we have not been able to help the villagers or ourselves,"
they said. The Farmer Society has not been able to win the confidence of
the villagers.
A returnee in Kayts |
Their main farming crops include rice, vegetables and onions.
However, they do not have a proper system to sell their produce. During
elections, like in the South, many politicians visit their village. But
none has done any good for them so far. "They are all broken promises,"
said another villager.
Assistance for farming is urgently needed before the rainy season,
according to several villagers we interviewed. Kandiah Sinniah Rasamma,
an elderly woman, wants a house to replace the one destroyed in 1990 due
to the war. She now lives in a cadjan hut.
Thavamani is another helpless mother with a mentally retarded son to
look after. She has no house and no income. "I want someone to help me
to look after my son," she says.
Many people in these parts have lost much of their property due to
the conflict but they haven't got anything back and now survive with
great difficulty.
Rajani is a mother of five children. Her husband is not in a position
to work for a living as he has lost a limb during the war. "I work as a
labourer and earn about Rs. 100 to 150 a day," she says. With that she
looks after a family of five children and a disabled husband.
Her children go to the village school but she finds it extremely
difficult to continue to send them to school as they do not have a
proper source of income.
Fishermen back at work |
Despite all their problems, the villagers are happy to experience the
peace that has been sustained following the truce. "We need peace," they
say in unison.
The European Commission and UNDP Jaffna branch have come forward to
assist these villagers through a project called, Integrated Recovery and
Resettlement Program (IRRP) at a cost of Euro 4,000,000.
The UNDP Jaffna will be in charge of the implementation process and
has already chosen several villages and identified their specific and
urgent requirements.
Gnana Sivapathasundaram, Senior Program Officer, UNDP Jaffna said
that they plan to address similar issues in the villages of Jaffna,
Killinochchi, Vavuniya, Mullaithivu and Mannar.
The project will support a community orientated, integrated
area-based approach to undertake a package of inter-related activities.
These focus on support to the sustainable reintegration of refugees,
IDPs and vulnerable local communities who lack opportunities.
Among the four areas for development are community based housing
reconstruction, support to fisheries sector recovery, integrated
agricultural sector recovery and support to community rehabilitation and
reintegration.
UNDP will build the capacity of local structures, community based
organisations, NGOs, governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The support to these communities to monitor and supervise
construction and rehabilitation works will have a long term impact in
terms of their ability to undertake relevant maintenance works which
will be required by all communities.
The institutional sustainability of IRRP activities at the target
group level is ensured through the network of strong community based
organisations (CBOs) at village level, through which most of the project
activities will be implemented.
IRRP will support the development of the regional fisheries industry
through training and capacity building of concerned institutions,
including the Department of Fisheries, the Fisheries Union and
individual fisheries societies.
Through this, IRRP will promote the expansion of the industry,
increasing market profits and enhancing the livelihoods of fishermen.
The IRRP will seek to introduce only those technologies that people
can use and manage independently and which are not alien to the
traditions and lifestyles of the people.
Apart from economic improvement, certain attitudinal and behavioural
changes among the target group are intended. Sivapathasundaram said that
under the IRRP, people in the fishing village would get houses and a
community trade stall.
The villagers in Theriaddy would get houses, a fertiliser storage
facility, agro wells and several other facilities. |