FCCISL CHEER facilitates conflict affected young females

An innovative livelihood training, building painting in this instance was introduced to thirty conflict affected young females by FCCISL CHEER Project with training conducted at the Handwerk Centre in Thirukkovil in the Ampara district. The beneficiaries were nominated by Social Welfare Organization of Ampara District (SWOAD). This training would complement the construction industry related training for conflict affected people launched by the project in March this year.

This one hundred hour program which consists of theory and on the job training will provide the participants with knowledge and hands on experience in identifying the painting location and determining the extent of the work to be done, develop estimates, prepare masonry surface of new buildings for painting, prepare masonry surfaces of a building for repainting, understand and select the mix of paints, meeting the colour requirements of the clients and painting external and internal surfaces.

Providing training for conflict affected youth in a vocation of their choice is an important component of the EU ACAP program with the view of making them to contribute to the development efforts in the North and the East while gaining more experience in the selected vocation. FCCISL is one of the national implementing partners of OXFAM, in the EU – ACAP 2009/2013 Project (European Union Assistance for Conflict Affected People). It works in association with the district Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Mannar with a view of contributing to the achievement of three key results selected out of the seven overall key results of EU ACAP Project.

They are: Women and men of IDP families, have capacity to pursue their choice of economic activities to significantly improve their household income and food security, Producer organizations (especially women managed) have capacity and skills necessary to represent their members effectively and Relationship between different ethnic communities are strengthened. The FCCISL implementation component of the project is named FCCISL CHEER Project (Chamber-network Engagement in Economic Rehabilitation).

The entire project is funded by the European Union. CHEER works with several ground level operating partners of OXFAM including Social Welfare Organization Ampara District (SWOAD).

FCCISL President Kosala Wickramanayake said that all efforts should be made to provide these young people who were affected by the conflict with capacity to get themselves engaged in a vocation of their choice so that they can positively work towards to economic and social well-being of the region. He said that FCCISL through its CHEER project is positively contributing in this direction.

Services of those who successfully complete the program of study would be made available to the members of the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka who are actively involved in construction works in the country. They too will be used by the project partners for small construction works undertaken by the project.

FCCISL CHEER training is being provided using its two construction industry related vocational training institutes in Kalutara and Thirukkovil (Ampara District) which are operated in collaboration with the Handwerkskammer Koblenz Germany and the National Construction Association of Sri Lanka – NCASL (Member of FCCISL) which has a 3000 strong member network in Sri Lanka. Certificates are jointly issued by them bringing national and international recognition for the certificate.