Building communities in a former war zone in the North East
23/02/2012 – Walioya, Sri Lanka: The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), with support from the German Red Cross recently laid the foundation stone to build a community hall for people in Gajabapura & Moneratanne in the Walioya Divisional Secretariat in the Mullativu District.
Over 100 families live in these villages. These areas once were battlefields, where many had to flee from their homelands to take shelter in IDP camps. The SLRCS is building 50 houses to resettle the returnees in these villages under its Post Conflict Recovery Programme.
On the 22nd of November 2012, the Red Cross took steps to lay the foundation to build a community center for the people in these two villages.
The President of SLRCS Jagath Abeysinghe accompanied by the Parliamentary Affairs Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka, Kumarasiri Hettige, The Country Representative of German Red Cross, Tim Bray, the Walioya Additional Government Agent Nishantha Sirimanne & the Brigade Commander of Walioya of the Sri Lanka Army Brigadier Pooraka Seneviratne was present at the event.
Addressing the gathering the Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs to the President said “The support given by the Red Cross even during the time of the war and especially with the PCRP programme after the way has certainly made an impact in the lives of the most vulnerable”
During the ceremony essential equipment for farming and livelihoods were distributed for the people of the area. The community centre is built at a cost of one million rupees.
Meanwhile the President and the Parliamentary Affairs Secretary also opened the newly built OPD complex and the Isolation ward of the Padaviya Base hospital.These infrastructures too were built with the assistance from the German Red Cross & the European Union at a cost of 200 million Sri Lankan Rupees.
A ceremony was also held to mark the event.
