Red Cross work in northern Sri Lanka

Returning to Colombo after a week-long field trip, is a time a reflect, write and sort photos taken on the trip.

While returning to Colombo last Friday, I wrote this in my diary"

Each day I learn a little more on how to map the human heart. This week I have visited over 20 villages in Anaradhapura, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts. I see joy and suffering, hardship and kindness. Our Red Cross work restores life and livelihoods after conflict and floods. The map charts the extremes of human deeds, emotions and actions. A life saved, a life taken, it is all mapped.


I travelled with Michael Annear, Head of the Disaster Management Unit for IFRC Asia and Pacific Zone. Michael is an engineer and an expert on risk reduction so Nimal Silva, Dr. Mahesh and I appreciated his expertise as an Engineer, and someone who understands 'surge capacity' and 'scaling up.'  With 3000 houses almost completed, we are trying to secure more funding to scale up and reach more of those 100,000 families without permanent houses.

On Tuesday I visited the village Kakula in northern Anuradhapura which was totally inundated by flood waters in January and February 2011 and where the Red Cross has built 34 houses under the flood recovery programme. ( During the flood recovery programme we built 1400 houses in 8 districts.)

We met an inspiring  lady who led this house-building programme and she told us how she moblised voluntary labour from the communities, particularly to construct houses allocated to widows. A group of smiling women and children flocked around us and thanked us for the support to their community.

The worst affected people now have a house, water and sanitation and improved livelihoods. Strengthening community resilience has been the focus of this programme and I was particularly impressed with livelihood programmes where people elected to breed goats and chickens.

Then to we travelled a kilometer or so to Rambewa to see a Red Cross and government blood donation programme, followed by a ceremony to mark World Red Cross Red Crescent Day. Many of the donors and mobilisers were young people from the local Red Cross unit. As a fundraising venture, members of this unit were given some fallow paddy land and grew a very profitable crop of rice. Youth are certainly on the move here.

Next we inaugurated a community centre which was 50% funded by the Red Cross and the rest given by the community. Here we had a few speeches for World Red Cross Red Crescent day and then presented tractors to poor, flood affected farmers, kitchen sets and mosquito nets to other villagers, and school bags and kits to children.


On Wednesday morning I met up with Michael and we travelled to Vavuniya where we teamed up with Nimal Silva (SLRCS) and Dr. Mahesh (IFRC) who run our ever-exanding Post Conflict Recovery Programme. (PRCP). We all travelled to Kilinochchi district where we have built 900 houses, provided water and sanitation, and livelihoods. We visited Krishnapuram and Michael had the chance to see the programme for the first time. He was impressed with our integrated or holistice approach and spent much time examining the owner-driven houses, the latrines and water supplies, but the thing that grabbed his attention, was the varied livelihoods programme. He spoke to a number of villagers and went to see their fields and saw how their lives have dramatically improved since receiving livelihood grants and training.

Michael Annear talking to Sinathamby Vellachame who has a Red Cross funded house with water and toilet, standing in front of his chilli field which is an integral part of the Red Cross livelihood programme.

On Thursday we travelled to Karainagar a small island off the coast of Jaffna. This was my second visit to this very poor part of Sri Lanka where we are building 70 houses in two villages. In the first village 16 recepients of the owner-driven houses are widows as so many men were killed in the brutal conflict. Conditions in the village are grim with no potable drinking water and the poorly dug wells produce a sour and brackish water, and drinking water has to be trucked in daily. Since my last visit in late January this year, people are smiling and everyone in the two villages are building their houses. Men split wood for the roof, masons skillfully position and cement bricks, while women cart sand and stones. Before and after school, children contribute to the family owner-driven approach to house building.

Karainagar. After 3 months since starting, foundations are complete and the walls start going up. Each house takes between six and ten months to complete.

Michael Annear (l) Dr. Mahesh (centre) and Ganesh at Kiranchi village near Malankavil discussing the finer points of construction.

We left Jaffna late Thursday morning and embarked on a 2 and a half  hour drive to Mulankavil half way down the west coast of Kilinochichi, which must be the remotest part of Sri Lanka. We have an office at Mulankavil and we stopped there to pick up members of our dedicated Red Cross team.

The Red Cross PCRP team in Mulankavil with Michael Annear. Living conditions are basic but the committment shown, 'beyond the call of duty' is impressive.

In and around Mulankavil, we spoke to those building Red Cross houses, putting in latrines and water supplies and discussing livelihhoods. I am sure with 3000 houses nearing completion, we have got the formula right.

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It was a successful trip and a chance to look at where we are with the current programme, and to further develop a methodology to market what we are doing and the need to advocate for those 100,000 families without permanent housing. I am hopeful some of our partners will get behind us and fund more houses, watsan and livelihoods.  Thanks to Michael Annear for joining us.

But it is so easy and understandable to focus on the hardware side of the project, but we are also dealing appropriately with people who have been traumatised by a 25 year long conflict is something the Red Cross quietly does as a cross cutting initiative. The photo above was taken at a YABC workshop I attended last year in Vavuniya.Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (YABC) is an initiative to empower youth to play a lead role in transforming mindsets, attitudes and behaviour in their local community. It starts from the premise that a prior commitment to inner change and being the living example of our Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values is the best way to reach this objective.

YABC uses innovative and artistic platforms; it integrates peer education and non-cognitive learning to promote behavioural change and uses games, role plays, visualisation, drama, dance and art for youth to make the journey "from the heart to the mind" and succeed in social mobilisation.

Toolkit

In 2008-2009, the IFRC P&V department in Geneva developed a draft skills-based toolkit for YABC, together with the Youth Commission, Youth focal point of the Organisational Development Department, and a network of youth leaders from 42 National Societies world-wide. Here is an update on what we are doing in this respect.

President Rajapaksa declared open Chawakatchcheri base hospital - funded by Finnish Red Cross

The President of Sri Lanka visited Jaffna yesterday and declared open the newly constructed Chawakatchcheri base hospital which is funded by the Finnish Red Cross and Finnish Government.

President Rajapaksa wrote the name of first patient admitted to the hospital on the name board.

The Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda,Minister of Heath Maithripala Sirisene , Governor of the Northern Province Maj.Gen.G.A.Chandrasiri and members of the Sri Lanka Red Cross several other officials were also present at this occasion.

The Finnish Red Cross and the Sri Lanka Red Cross have worked tirelessly over the past few years especially Wardell (Woody) Eastwood representing the Finnish Red Cross and his team who supervised construction. In December last year, Kristina Kumpala Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross, and John Ekelund visited  Chawakatchcheri base hospital to see for themselves this high quality base hospital.

                               Inside one of the wards at the Chawakatchcheri base hospital

I visited the hospital myself two weeks ago in Jaffna and was impressed with this outstanding medical facility. The Sri Lanka Red Cross will continue to provide ambulance services in Jaffna, hospital volunteers and first aid training.

A few weeks ago the Finnish Ambassador to Sri Lanka who is based in New Delhi came with her 1st secretary and spoke to me about this gesture of solidarity which will enhance the relationship between Finland and Sri Lanka.

Chawakatchcheri base hospital funded by Finnish red Cross and Government.

One day in the north of Sri Lanka

I left Colombo this morning at 6 a.m. and we travelled via Vavuniya, Killinochchi over Elephant Pass and down to Jaffna. I love this part of Sri Lanka and my good friend Dr, Mahesh who is with me, lived here as a boy and knows it well.

I first visited the north of Sri Lanka in June 2010 when I first arrived to take up a new poosting with the Red Cross (IFRC) and I travelled with Tissa Abbeywickrama. Col. Madu and Barry Armstrong.

At that juncture, we were just starting the Sri Lanka Red Cross Post Conflict Recovery Programme (PCRP) and I recall vividly visiting villages in Kilinochchi where people were living in hovels or very poor temporary shelter. On that trip we handed out letters saying that the bearer would receive a house, water supply, a toilet and a grant for livelihoods.

The 25 year long war had only finished a year earlier and people were worn-out, still confused and struggling to survive. The Government was doing all it could to help and working with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, JAICA, the UN and other bi lateral partners, infrastructure was being rebuilt after the region was totally flattened by a brutal war.

Barry Armstrong (l) and Tissa Abbeywickrama (r) talking to two villagers in Vivekanandam Nagar in Kilinochchi. Their makeshift shelter in the backgtound. Within a year they had a new Red Cross house. Photo: Bob McKerrow

The first house underway in Vivekananda Nagar July 2010. Today we have completed 300 in this village. Photo: Bob McKerrow

A year later, Sept 2011, Vimala Rani with her family at the door of her new houses. Photo: Bob McKerrow

Vimala Rani outside her new Red Cross house. All families get a water supply, a toilet and a livelihood grant. Photo: Bob McKerrow

Today we were back in Kilinochchi with Nadeka Arambewela (Australian Red Cross)
 right) with Vimala Rani on her right and three of her five children. She explained how her  life had changed with her house, water and sanitation and the livelihood grant she received.

Our two doctors and public health specialists Bhanu and Mahesh found a problem with the well and when I left they were still looking into it.

Thavarani who lost her husband during the war and badly disabled by a mortar, lives in Krishnapuram. Here she is with her three children 1 year ago outside a rough temporary shelter. Today she has a new house and the livelihood rant has enabled her to be self sufficient. Photo: Bob McKerrow

Arrived in Jaffna at 7pm tonight to be met by our team who had been surveying islands off Jaffna where families urgently need houses. The team is led by Nimal Silva 2nd from right. Tomorrow at 7 am we head off  to the islands with them.

Photos: Bob McKerrow IFRC

I met an elephant on the way to the super market!

I have lived over 30 years in Asia, and almost immune to the unexpected. But yesterday morning I got a delightful surprise.

After two weeks in a hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka, we moved into a new appartment building on Friday. Ablai and I woke up yesterday morning, and we headed off to a supermarket just round the cormer. Somehow we turned right instead of the needed left turn, and the next minute we see a baby elephant grazing in the grounds of the Buddhist temple.

We spent the day unpacking boxes that had just arrived from Jakarta, and in the evening we walked down the road to have dinner with Manish and Monica Pant, friends from India. Manish and Monica are Indian doctors, and Manish  first starting working for me in New Delhi. He  moved to Suva about the time I left Delhi in 2006 where he became the regional health delegate for all the South Pacific Red Cross Societies. He is now working with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS). So it was a relaxing evening talking cricket and family.

On Wednesday last week Tissa Abeywickrama ( 2nd from right) was appointed to the position of Acting Director General of the SLRCS. Tissa had steered the SLRCS through a massive tsunami operation during the past five years. So I am looking forward to working with Tissa.

Al Panico right, with Naila. Al is my line manager. Al came over to join us for four days to deal with a number of high level issues pertaining to the tsunami transition process and the IDP programme for displaced people in the north of the country.

It's Sunday evening and I am compiling my Bi Weekly Management report and I am reading all the individual departmental reports. The enormity of the work we have supported the SLRCS on during the past five years is impresive, as is the work we are doing now.

The enormous scale and scope of the operation has meant that thousands of people are now living in stronger homes supported by a more sustainable economic and social foundation. More than 57,000 houses have been built or are being completed. Over 650,000 people now have clean water to drink. More than 94,000 households have boats, fishing nets, agricultural tools or have used cash grants to help them recover their livelihoods. The finishing touches are being put on 363 hospitals and clinics that are being built or rehabilitated. 161 schools have been constructed with a further 11 under way. In Sri Lanka alone, the Red Cross has built 94 hospitals and clinics. When I was in northern Jaffna in June I visited a 300 bed hospital we built there which was providing outstanding medical services. many of the patients displaced by the war in the north.

What is taking up a considerable ammount of time at the moment is raising funds for an emergency appeal  seeking USD 3.4 million or EUR 2,5 million) in cash, kind, or services to support the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) as it assists approximately 5,000 families (25,000 people) for 24 months;

So after two and a half weeks I am settling in and I hope I get more surprises on my morning walks.

A visit to the north of Sri Lanka to see Red Cross programme for internally displaced people.

The temporary shed Shivapatham now calls home.  Photo: Sri Lanka Red Cross Society

I have spent the last three days in the north of Sri Lanka familiarising myself with the Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRCS) programme for internally displaced in the north of Sri Lanka where they are assisting an intitial 5,000 families (25,000 people) for 24 months.For further information see the IFRC appeal  http://www.ifrc.org/where/country/cn6.asp?countryid=160&view=2&iYear=100&xflag=

We visited the districts of Vavunyia, Kilinochchi and Jaffna. Next month I move to Sri Lanka to take up my new role as head of delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) so this visit was a familisation and handover one.
In Jaffna I was very impressed with the SLRCS owner driven housing programme that was supported by IFRC. Over 900 houses were built for people whose homes were destroyed by the Tsunami in 2004. I also visited a large hospital in northern Jaffna that the SLRCS/Australian Red Cross had repaired and modernised after being flooded by the tsunami.

In Kilinochchi district the SLRCS/German Red Cross have transferred cash to 50 families for the start of the  Red Cross owner-driven housing programme in this district for IDPs.

I travelled with my good friend Tissa Abeywickrama, (2nd from right),  Col. Mudagalle (far left), in photo above. The gentleman on the far right is the village administrator in one of the villages where the SLRCS are working. Photo: Barry Armstrong

So apart from the group pictured above, Chitravel and Barry Armstrong were also part of our group. Rather than tell my story, here is a typical story of a displaced family in the north.

Looking at the ruins of a place he once called home, Muttu Shivapatham, 58, remembers how life used to be just two years ago when he lived in the city of Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka.

A farmer by trade, Shivapatham has three daughters and a son who is now studying at Jaffna University. More than a decade of conflict certainly made life hard for this family, but Shivapatham did what he could to make ends meet.

Kilinochchi is located on Sri Lanka’s A9 road, which connects the capital Colombo to Jaffna. It was considered the de-facto capital of Tamil Tigers (LTTE) territory, at least until 2 January 2009, when the Sri Lankan government's military re-took the city. Most of the people living in Kilinochchi are Tamils and the district has been one of the island's most important farming areas since pre-historic times.

Children attending class at a temporary school in Kilinochchi Photo: Sri Lanka Red Cross Society

Moving to safety
As the fighting between government forces and the LTTE intensified in January 2009, Shivapatham, his family and the rest of the people in their town decided to move to a safer area - Mullativu - which was also the LTTE's main military base. Conditions were harsh as the family did not have a proper place to sleep or basic necessities of life.

Many Tamils were displaced during this period of fighting and began to move on to safer areas in the north of Sri Lanka, while the military was launching an offensive from the south against the LTTE.

During the conflict, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) was at the forefront of humanitarian action, providing services to survivors and assisting vulnerable people in a coordinated operation led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Tearful homecoming

As months passed by and the war came to an end, Shivapatham had the opportunity to visit his home - or what was left of it - in Kilinochchi. Looking at the ruins, Shivapatham shed tears thinking about the past in the place where he grew from being a child to becoming a father.

Rebuilding his life, his home and his legacy is what Shivapatham has on his mind. He says: “Regardless of everything that has been destroyed, I am happy to be home.”

"First of all, we need houses to live in, and then we need help to rebuild our livelihoods. Geographically, Kilinochchi has some positive aspects such as water and land. So with a little bit of help, I think we can rebuild this place into an economic hub in the north."

The Red Cross Red Crescent is already there, helping the most vulnerable: "We are assisting the people in these camps by attending to their medical needs, providing them with drinking water and increasing their level of sanitation," says the Red Cross branch executive officer in Vavuniya, Ronald Srikanth. He believes that more assistance is needed, especially around building livelihoods and rebuilding homes.

Support for the displaced

The Sri Lanka Red Cross never stopped their work, even during times when violence had increased. Helping elderly people who had been displaced and attending to medical needs of people living in camps were important activities throughout the conflict. "We have been working with several other organizations to improve the quality of life in the camps for internally displaced people and to help them get back in their own two feet," says A. Suthagar, the branch executive officer of the SLRCS in Mannar.

The mood of most people returning to the north is upbeat as they are delighted to come home regardless of the current conditions.

The words of Shivapatham reflect the views of most people when he says: "It's alright that everything is destroyed. We can rebuild it. After all, we are happy that we have a place to call home."

A husband and wife (centre) discussing their new house design with Tissa Abeyrickrama (right) and Barry Armstrong (left) in Kilinochchi.

The recovery operation

I know some of you may be interested in the details of the SLRCS recovery operation that we are supporting along with other RC Movement partners. The SLRCS have identified an integrated programming focus in support of the return and resettlement of the affected population through:

• Immediate support with first aid, psychosocial services and referral transports while in transit from camps and temporary locations;

• Health and care services, including water and sanitation, in the selected areas of operation as returnees settle;

• Shelter interventions, including construction of permanent houses and repairs to partially damaged houses;

• Livelihoods support;

• Disaster preparedness and risk reduction with focus on building community resilience to deal with future emergencies.

This in turn necessitates the strengthening of the SLRCS’ institutional capacity in the target districts, including mobilizing the appropriate skills and competencies in branch staff and volunteers to provide services to local communities, in re-establishing the SLRCS branch structures, and in maintaining the branch capacities to ensure delivery of services to communities in the longer term.

Red Cross owner-driven houses are well underway. Foundations are completed, bricks being made and the owners designing the house they desire. Photo: Barry Armstrong

Shelter component will be supported by activities from the health, water and sanitation, and disaster management sectors. Shelter as a sector will provide support to rebuild 800 totally destroyed houses and repair 1,200 partially damaged houses. Health component will focus on provision of first aid as well as the implementation of community based health programming. In water and sanitation, activities will focus on ensuring improved access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in order to maintain a safe and healthy living environment. The overall assessment of communities’ capacities and risks will create a platform for developing activities in resource and risk mapping and local response planning. This includes a management of common data collection and utilization between all programme components.

The SLRCS needs more funding for this programme so I hope you will be able to support them.