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Ceylon Christian Care |
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Community Development |
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Community Development Ceylon Christian Care runs the following Community Development Projects on Sri Lanka: · Central Camp - Rural Area |
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Day laborers working on the paddies (rice fields) |
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Central Camp - Rural Area Central Camp is a village in a rural area. The people live 10 kilometers or more from the city, hospital and school. Most of them live in clay huts. There is no public transport, no electricity and no communication service available. A consequence of this is that most children do not go to school. The men and women work as day laborers on the paddy fields (rice fields). Most times they are not paid in cash but in kind (rice). This work is seasonal work. During the harvest time they can work 7 days a week. The other part of the year the work on the rice fields is limited to 1-3 days a week. Most of the time rice is the only food they eat. Often only once a day. Some have a small vegetable garden. Due to the fact that children do not get enough vitamins, calcium and other minerals many of them have growth problems. People with a serious disease are not able to go to a doctor or hospital so which means that they will probably die. These people are in a poverty trap, of which they cannot come out without help. |
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A family before their clay hut |
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A community development plan as we have for the village Murokkodanchenai will not work in this rural area. They live at a 10 minutes walking distance or even more from each other. A different approach for this village is taken namely to start with a pilot for 10 families which contains the following elements: · A motorbike for each family A motorbike is purchased for each family. Ceylon Christian Care will be the owner and will register the bike. This is to avoid that they sell the motorbike for money. Motorbikes are the most reliable and economical means of transport in rural areas with bad roads. · Parent have to take children to school by the motorbike The father of the children has to promise that he will use the motorbike to take the children to school. We will make an appointment with the school principal that in case children do not come to school three successive days he will warn the project manager of Ceylon Christian Care. In that case the project manager will check the reason. If the father does not keep his promise the motorbike will be transferred back to Ceylon Christian Care and given to another family. · Families receive a micro credit to start a small chicken farm The family will receive a micro credit. Analyzed is that when the family sells 10 chickens on the market in the city of Kalmunai (12 km distance) every week they will generate enough additional income to bring the family in a better position. The motorbike can be used to take the children to school and at the same time transfer the chickens to the market. Analyzed too is that poultry is needed. Selling will not be a problem. · The motorbike can be used for instance to transfer people to hospital Currently there is a situation that people die because they are not able to go to hospital in case of serious illnesses. The motorbike will help them in these situations. · Families can get ownership of the motorbike after 5 years. If the motorbike is used for the purpose meant the family can get ownership after 5 years. This will motivate them to handle the motorbike with care.
Status of this project: The motorbikes are registered, insured and delivered in the second half of April 2006. In June the families selected for the pilot received the instructions and the motorbike. Pastor Selvantha visits these families twice a week and gives instructions and monitors the progress.
See also the Newsletter of July 4th, 2006 |
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Rev. Jeyanesan testing a bike in Colombo |
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Roads in rural areas |
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The agreement signed with a fingerprint |
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Signing the documents |
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A father and his son receive the motorbike |