“Your country will overcome all challenges and be a fast growing country if all the people start to follow the ten golden rules of Gemidiriya”, said World Bank country director Naoko Iishi addressing a community meeting in Perahettiya in the Badulla district on 19 June.
Ms.Iishi was on a visit to review the progress of the Gemidiriya community development and livelihood improvement project in Sri Lanka. Dr. Meena Munchi, the Task Leader of Gemidiriya Project , Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya of the WB Colombo office and Gemidiriya CEO Dr.Gamini Batuwitage also took part in the visit. |
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| Appreciating the ethnic unity in Perahettiya where Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities are engaged in village development activities under Gemidiriya, she said, the government should scale up with the unity that exist between communities at grassroot level country wide.
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World Bank team led by the country director Naoko Iishi inspecting the construction work of the second water supply project in Perahettiya. |
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"When we talk about successful WB funded projects, Gemidiriya is always mentioned first. I have discussed it, but today I realised the success of Gemidiriya by experience. I heard the voice of a woman who was the poorest of the poor two years ago and have come out of poverty today through Gemidiriya. She said that now she has a voice in the village organisation and the others listen to her. I heard the voice of young children who are learning computer at Gemidiriya IT centre and say that the computer is their future. Now I can carry your story to the world", she said.
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| "There is a huge difference in development between the Western province and the rest of the country. Poverty is higher in other regions compared to the Western province and the inequality is growing. The biggest problem is unemployment and particularly the higher unemployment rate among youth. Today I see how deeply the Gemidiriya has considered these issues and what measures have been implemented to address these issues” she said further. |
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| People of the Gemidiriya village organisations discussed the possible merger of Gemidiriya with the Gamanaguma village development program. The people said that the current model of the Gemidiriya with full community participation brings the maximum benefits to the people sans corruption and it should not be changed to another government institute. |
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| Responding to the people Iishi said, "We should join together and give all plus points of Gemidiriya to the Gamanaguma program. You all will be facilitators of the Gamanaguma program". The Gamanaguma program is scheduled to be implemented in 4,000 villages. |
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Thanks to Gemidiriya now we have water… people discribe the hardship they faced before the first water project was started. WB delegates at first water project in Perehettiya |
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| The Gemidiriya People's Company in Perahettiya has addressed the water issue of a part of the village. People described the hardships they faced due to lack of water and the relief they received after implementing the project. A large protected well, pumping station and storage tank have been constructed and water connections have been provided to 74 houses. People pay maintenance costs of Rs. 90 plus Rs. 10 per unit of water. The water supply system is maintained by the community. |
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| The second water project which will provide water for another 110 houses in the Uva Highland estate section of Perahettiya is under construction and it will be opened in September this year. |
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| A line room (estate house) has been converted into an IT centre with one PC where 25 students under 16 are learning the basics of computer. This is the second computer centre in the village. The Perahettiya Gemidiriya People's Company has also opened a "Nenasala", an IT centre. |
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| The instructor at the computer centre, Pooneshwari (20) who passed two subjects at the A/L examination said that she is teaching Microsoft Office packages to her students. Pooneshwari has obtained Rs. 10,000 loan from Gemidiriya Skills Development Fund to follow a computer course at a private institute in Bandarawela. Gemidiriya People’s company has provided loans for 25 youth from the skills development fund to follow courses on vocational training and 23 of them have completed their training, found employment and are now repaying the loans. |
