USAID and CASP address Kalmunai Solid Waste Problem

CASP recently held a meeting at the Kalmunai Municipal Council Conference Hall to discuss the implementation of the Kalmunai Solid Waste project which is being funded by USAID.

The project, which is to begin shortly, aims to solve the longstanding Kalmunai solid waste problem in the tsunami-devastated Ampara District.

The meeting was presided over by Kalmunai Municipal Council Commissioner MY Saleem and included council members, public health inspectors, MOH Kalmunai, CEA (Central Environment Authority) Assistant Director MAC Najeeb, and Kalmunai Municipal Council Mayor ARM Ajmeer.

The USAID Programme Development Officer Jude Pradeep James was also present at the meeting, along with CASP Project Co-Director Victor Petrescu and Finance/Administration Director MM Razeen.

Discussions focused mainly on:

• collection methods;
• location of transferring centres and sorting centres;
• and ways to solve difficulties during the grace period.

The Municipal Councillors thanked USAID and CASP for having come forward to help solve this ongoing solid waste problem and assured their total cooperation in this matter.

CASP Media Team Member Honoured

Mr. AHM Aswer, Advisor to His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapakse, honoured Mr. MA Phakurdeen, a member of CASP’s media team, at a function held to mark the 27th Anniversary of the Ampara District Federation of All Ceylon Muslim League Youth Fronts.

The event took place at the Athullah Art Gallery of As-Shiraj Maha Viddyalayam (Akkaraipattu) on November 25th, 2006, and was presided over by the National Organiser of the Federation, MI Uthumalebbe.

In honour of Mr. Phakurdeen's services in journalism, Mr. Aswer draped him with a silk shawl and presented him with a gold medal for his work in front of a large crowd attending the function. CASP is very proud to have a member of its media team honoured in such a manner.

NGOs Meeting in Akkaraipattu

BELOW: Al-Haj. MI Abdel Qadir, JP [right] addresses participants [photo at bottom] in Sinhalese while MSM Harris, President of FORED [left], translates to Tamil.ActionAid International, in partnership with three local NGOs, ERRO LANKA, FORED, and SWEIDO VISION, held a meeting at the Athaullah Auditorium in Akkaraipattu on December 7th, 2006. The purpose of the gathering was to brief the civil community and media personnel about the programmes and other works these groups have carried out in selected areas of Ampara District.

The area's Divisional Secretaries, civil society leaders, religious leaders, other NGOs, and beneficiaries were invited to the meeting. The three local NGOs working with ActionAid International detailed their work progress and focus areas. Around 300 people were in attendance and photographs were displayed throughout the auditorium to demonstrate the groups' accomplishments.

Smyrna Fellowship builds 111 new houses

The Smyrna Fellowship of Nuwaraeliya NGO has constructed 111 permanent houses in Ahathikulam, Alayadivembu D.S. division. The houses were constructed, at a cost of Rs. 850,000 per house, for families whose homes were destroyed by the tsunami at Sinnamuhathuvaram, Alayadivembu and who, until now, had been living in temporary shelters.

Smyrana Fellowship started this project in February, 2006, taking only ten (10) months to complete the houses on 37 acres of land purchased for this purpose with funds obtained from Sweden. Mr. Leif Grund, his wife, and two daughters donated a major part of the fund around $100,000, while PMU Interlife of Sweden contributed the balance of the funding.

A function was held at the housing project on November 29th to hand over the legal documents (deeds) and the keys of the houses to the beneficiaries. The Additional District Secretary and Divisional Secretary - Alayadivembu were present along with Smyrna Fellowship Chairman Rev. P. Krishnarajah, Founder Rev. Selvarajah, and Donor Mr. Leif Grund.