SLEJF promotes best tsunami rehabilitation projects

The Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF) is organising a promotional programme for the best tsunami projects which have been done last year and continuing at present or programmes that are being done this year.

Through this programme SLEJF hopes to identify the 10 best tsunami rehabilitation projects in Sri Lanka, verify their authenticity and publish them through media articles, books as well as by website which will be distributed nationally and internationally. SLEJF will be organising this event for the 1st memorial of the Tsunami Disaster on December 26.

Any project, Social welfare, youth and children programmes, counselling programmes, Agriculture, fisheries, development projects, schools and housing construction projects or any other activity related to tsunami affected parties and meet the basic criteria of the programme may apply as a best tsunami projects programme.

Applications can be made by any person, who is in government, NGOs, INGOs, International organisations, Welfare organisations or public and private sector. The project application must be an achievement in Sri Lanka during the last year or continuing at present. From among the entries received the selectors will short list at least 10 of the most promising success projects.

The selectors will then verify the authenticity of the short-listed success stories through field investigations and other means. Success stories with the details of tsunami rehabilitation projects must be sent to, The Coordinator, Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum, 7B, Albert Perera Mw, Nugegoda. Further information can be obtained by Phone: 011-2817803/2769592.

The overall goal of this programme is to draw attention to the increasing number of positive developments and success stories in post tsunami areas. Having identified such success project through open proposals the SLEJF will publicise and promote them nationally and internationally.

Total number of deaths in Sri Lanka by tsunami disaster amounts to 31, 229 and 4,100 people have disappeared. 516,150 people were displaced and 250,000 houses were wiped out by tsunami in few minutes. Eight districts in Sri Lanka have been badly affected by this disaster and total losses across all sectors amount to billions of rupees.

Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum has published some books on disaster sensitive reporting and done several workshops for the provincial journalists recently.