Pottuvil Traders Development Society meets with CASP [Daily News]

Daily News, Thursday 27 September 2007

---

The members of the Pottuvil Traders Development Society met CASP's (Canadian Agro-Sustainability Parntership) Director of Environmental Services, David Boyce, at a hotel in Pottuvil (see map below) to discuss their future development programmes to include in the Master Plan CASP intends to draw. Here, Director David Boyce (third from right) in discussions with the President of the Society I.M. Rasheed, Secretary S.M. Muhseen, and members. Officials from CASP were also present.

Picture by M.A. Phakurdeen, Addalaichenai group correspondent

---

View Larger Map

EU-Ampara Parnership MOU signed

Many significant Development Projects covering all sectors are to be implemented in Ampara District with the signing of an MOU by the European Union Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Julian Wilson, and the Ampara Government Agent, Sunil Kannanagara. The signing took place at the District Secretary’s Conference Hall in the presence of representatives from INGOs working in Ampara District who wish to move forward as partners to solve the major needs of the District.The EU-Ampara Partnership is funded by the European Union in the amount of EUR 78 million (approx. LKR 11,388,000.00), which will contribute towards the rehabilitation and sustainable development of Ampara District. The Partnership funds are delivered through eight partners working with local authorities and also with the National Ministries (RDA and Nation Building & Reconstruction) to ensure an integrated approach to the development of the entire district.

The EU-Ampara Partnership is comprised of the following programmes:

• Reconstruction of Siyambalanduwa/Pottuvil/Akkaraipattu roads [EUR 13.5 million] co-financed by the ADB and Ministry of Highways;
  
• Community Access Roads Programme (CAP) [EUR 30 million] implemented through IOM and local authorities;
  
• Community Livelihood Support Programme (CLSP) [EUR 10 million] implemented through IOM and local authorities;
  
• Livelihood Development Programme (LDP) [EUR 0.7 million] implemented through UNDP and local authorities;
  
• North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) [EUR 13 million] co-financed by the World Bank and Ministry of Nation Building and Reconstruction;
  
• Environmental Remediation Programme [EUR 10 million] implemented through UNOPS and local authorities;
  
• Two environmental remediation actions under the ASIA PRO ECO HB – Post Tsunami programme in Kalmunai [EUR 1 million] co-financed with the City of Munich and Province of Modena and local authorities.

The EU-Ampara Partnership is committed to deliver aid to all vulnerable communities in the District and will ensure that the allocation of resources is strictly guided by the principles of equity.

Master Plan Transport and Traffic Workshop [Daily News]

Daily News, 6 September 2007

---

CASP (Canadian Agro-Sustainability Partnership) has been conducting a series of workshops as a prelude to draw up a Master Plan for various sectors in order to improve the standard of the living of the people in Ampara District, especially in the tsunami-affected areas. Here, CASP's Director - Environmental Services, David Boyce is seen addressing the Transport and Traffic Sectoral Meeting at CASP's Ampara (see map below) conference hall. The officials from Transport and Traffic are seen on the right.

Picture by M.A. Phakurdeen, Addalaichenai group correspondent

Gender Sector seminar by CASP [Daily News]

Daily News, 6 September 2007

---

The Canadian Agro-Sustainability Partnership, which has undertaken the task of drawing a master plan to rebuild tsunami-aftected Ampara District, has been conducting a series of meetings in different sectors. A meeting on the Gender Sector under its programme was held at the Akkaraipattu Computer & Training Centre's conference hall recently. Above left, CASP's General Manager Dr. Anuzsia Sonataraja with CASP's Director Administration/Finance M.M. Razeeen, and Gender Specialist Thilaka Pathmanathan at the seminar.

Picture by M.A. Phakurdeen, Addalaichenai Group Correspondent

District Agriculture Training Centre open at Palamuna

A District Agriculture Training Centre constructed at Palamunai in the Addalaichenai DS Division was ceremonially declared open on Monday, September 3rd.

The Centre, which was built at a cost of Rs. 7 million provided by the European Union through the UNDP, is very well equipped and includes a demonstration plot consisting of one acre of land. It will cater to the needs of 60,000 farmers in improving their agricultural abilities in the Tamil speaking areas of the coastal belt.

The Ambassador of the European Union in Sri Lanka, Julian Wilson, participated as chief guest at this ceremony and declared the Training Centre open by cutting the ribbon following the hoisting of the National Flag. Government Agent Sunil Kannangara, Deputy Director of Agriculture P.T. Nimal Dayaratna, Assistant Director of Agriculture R.M. Latheef, as well as Agricultural Officers and Instructors also participated.Ambassador Wilson expressed his happiness to complete such a worthy project in this area where farmers are in the majority and appealed to them to make the maximum benefit out of the Centre. “We love Sri Lanka, and hence the people of European Union showed their kind generosity by voluntarily giving their financial assistance to uplift the standard of the common masses in the eastern part of Sri Lanka”, the Ambassador said. He further revealed that a large sum of money has been set apart for development projects in various sectors in Ampara District.

The UNDP’s Ampara Officer in Charge Z.A. Joufer, EU Coordinator Kiran Kothari, and many other representatives from interested INGOs attended the ceremonies. Also present in large numbers were the coastal area farmers wishing to express their gratitude to the EU and UNDP in implementing this project successfully and helping to solve some of their long-standing problems.