For more than a quarter of a century, life in Sri Lanka was dominated by the violent conflict between the Sinhalese government and the Tamil "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam". It was not until May 2009 that the government army was able to reclaim all of the regions controlled by the rebels, and the civil war came to an end. Decades of disputes have left a country in tatters. Many inhabitants in the North and East were displaced repeatedly and had to live in refugee camps for a long time.
Welthungerhilfe and its partner organisations Sewalanka Foundation, Acted and Handicap International assist people with returning to their former residences. Many fields were left unattended for years. Schools and clinics were destroyed, and drinking water wells must now be repaired or constructed.
Farmers working together
Farmers are working together: This way, they can move forward more effectively and quickly than alone. They are growing rice, lentils, eggplant, onions, chilli peppers and tomatoes. Others market milk, cheese and curd.
Some villagers have formed village savings groups, or they take advantage of small credits to finance the establishment of small stores or trades.
Community members are included in the planning and implementation of all innovations: For example, every person is able to view the village development plans that have been developed.
In this way, inhabitants can also object to building measures and make their own decisions regarding the development of their villages. Village communities are connected to facilitate the exchange of experiences.
To ensure that there is no envy between communities and that the region is able to generate balanced growth, neighbouring communities that are home to non-displaced persons are also included in the project activities.