Alliance News Issue 2 2018

Exchanging Knowledge across ALLIANCE the Palk Strait THE NEWSLETTER OF

FEATURE STORY

NEWS I S S U E

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IN-BRIEF Follow-Up Meeting with Livelihood Beneficiaries Tumble Dryer for Children’s Home Child Protection Programmes for Adults and Children Reaching Out to Students of Hindu College Sex Awareness for Youth

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During their entire stay of 30 days, Neetha, Arundathi and Deepika learnt many lessons that complimented the lectures that they attended as part of their curriculum.

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Business Training for Ministry Workers

Healing Water for Residents of Palaviya

Task Force Updated

Lessons in Life Skills and Values for Elizabeth Moir Students

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CONTACT US P.O. Box 113, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka 00945511358

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Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

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Business Training for Ministry Workers The NCEASL conducted a Training of Trainers programme for 17 business mentors from 19 to 21 June at Sanctuary House. The training included sessions, an exposure visit and business clinics which provided an opportunity for the participants to learn the principles of business management as well as employ the knowledge gained to revive two struggling business ventures. These mentors will now work through Church networks to train other entrepreneurs on how to successfully engage in business initiatives.

The Alliance Development Trust reconstructed the school hall of the Meegahagoda School in Galle.

The renovated hall which was declared open on 1 July 2016, was in a dilapidated state and would leak in the rainy season.

“We are happy that we have received your assistance” says Chamath, a student of the school, who with his friends, helped in the construction work. “We were in much discomfort and you have done us a great service.”

Healing Water for Residents of Palaviya The Alliance Development Trust provided Pastor Gracien a Micro Water Purification Plant as a livelihood initiative through which he is also able to provide his community with clean drinking water. Pastor Gracien lives in Palaviya a remote village in the Puttalam District, one of several districts affected primarily due to insecticides and weedicides contaminating the water table. Communities living in these areas are severely affected by kidney diseases and dental fluorosis.

Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

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Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

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FEATURE

STORY Exchanging Knowledge across the Palk Strait Three young students studying for their Masters in Social Work from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore flew over to Sri Lanka in late April 2018 to study the contribution of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in postconflict Sri Lanka. Due to close relationships maintained with academic staff and students of St. Joseph’s College, the Alliance Development Trust (ADT) was approached by these young students who sought assistance to gather data and information needed for their course work. Neetha, Arundathi and Deepika were referred to the ADT by Prof.

Kiran Jeevan who has taken part in exposure visits conducted by the ADT with his former students on two previous occasions. As students in community development, Neetha and Deepika hoped to gain exposure to community work and understand the various issues communities are faced with, especially in a country which has lived through the Asian Tsunami of 2004 and the 30 year armed conflict. As one who studied the medical and psychiatric aspect of social work, Arundathi was hoping to gain an understanding of the health challenges faced by those living in a post-conflict situation and the dynamics of how such societies function.

For the next month, they were placed at the heart of the ADT’s activities. The three girls were fully occupied and had to divide their time between attending meetings, writing

“I think it is very important that

the staff of an organisation should be friendly and flexible.

This is what I will take back.

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Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

The girls meet local farmers in the North out proposals and discussing upcoming campaigns. Though this was the students’ first time in Sri Lanka, they already felt at home. Most importantly, they were comfortable with the areas of work allocated to each one of them which were tailored to their own areas of interest.

Following their work at the head office in Colombo, the three left for Vavuniya where they received an opportunity to interact with war-affected communities. They visited war memorials, met with other non-governmental organisations working with war-affected groups and also attended workshops on sustainability and planning which were conducted at the regional office in Vavuniya. The three also participated in meetings for self-help groups formed by the ADT and other female rural development groups in Vavuniya.

During their entire stay of 30 days, Neetha, Arundathi and Deepika learnt many lessons that complimented the lectures that they attended as part of their curriculum. On the field, they learnt a practical application to the theoretical frameworks formulated within a classroom. The interaction with war-affected persons and the social workers who work

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towards alleviating the various socioeconomic issues of underprivileged communities proved to be an excellent learning opportunity.

Neetha and Arundathi provide feedback of their exposure vist

Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

Neetha, Arundathi and Deepika flew back home on 29 May with many aspirations which they wish to fulfil.

Arundathi with her interest in medical social work, hopes to join a hospital or medical faculty. Deepika hopes to start an initiative of her own in agriculture where she can put to use all theoretical and practical knowledge she has gained. Neetha hopes to start up her very own NGO through which she hopes to work for the welfare of children and women. She was therefore very grateful for the practical and hands-on knowledge she received from her stay with the ADT. “I got to know how an organisation structure is formed” she said. Neetha went on to explain that the flexibility and the cooperation of the ADT staff helped her understand how an NGO should function. “I think it is very important that the staff of an organisation should be friendly and flexible. This is what I will take back.”

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NEWS IN

BRIEF

Follow-Up Meeting with Livelihood Beneficiaries The Business Development Unit organised a meeting on 22 May with six beneficiaries and three directors of the Industrial Development Board, Jaffna to discuss the possibilities of developing the beneficiaries’ current business ventures.

Tumble Dryer for Children’s Home

Child Protection Programmes for Adults and Children

The Religious Liberty Commission recently gifted a tumble dryer to the Paynter Home in Nuwara Eliya. The Managing Directress, Mrs. Jacobs, accepted the dryer on behalf of the 33 children who live here.

Two programmes on child protection were held on 13 May at Badowita for 17 parents and 24 children. A similar programme was also held for 6 adults and 36 children in Grandpass on 19 June.

Reaching Out to Students of Hindu College

Sex Awareness For Youth

Sanctuary House sponsored a training programme for 50 students and seven teachers of Hindu College, Ratmalana on 1 June. The training was aimed at reinforcing the new Sports School concept to the 14 year old students.

On 11 May, 25 youth attended a seminar on what the Bible says about sex. The seminar was conducted by Sergiu and Rodica Filat from Precept International Ministry. The sessions were simultaneously translated to Tamil.

Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

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Task Force Updated On 8 June, a group of 29 pastors selected as the NCEASL’s Task Force leaders from each district met at the NCEASL auditorium. The sessions were conducted by the NCEASL’s facilitators. The topics discussed were on present challenges faced by the Task Force including issues on false Christian teaching. The Religious Liberty Commission also spoke on land-related issues, unethical conversions and on the importance of maintaining cordial relationships with communities they live in. A booklet on the Right to Information Bill was distributed among the participants.

Lessons in Life Skills and Values for Elizabeth Moir Students Sanctuary House hosted 58 middle school students and 5 teachers from Elizabeth Moir School for a Breakthrough Teambuilding and Leadership Programme for the fifth consecutive year. The programme which was held from 28 to 30 April, included low rope courses, archery, air-rifling as well as kayaking and raft-building activities in the waterways. A survival exercise evolving around a plane-crash scenario proved to be an ideal opportunity to impart life values and essential life skills.

Alliance News Issue 2, 2018. For private circulation only.

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PROJECTS AT A GLANCE ISSUE 2 2018

MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM • Task Force meeting with 29 members representing their respective districts • Timothy Initiative Vision Casting Training attended by 11 participants • A seminar on biblical teachings on sex for 25 youth • Printing and distribution of 1,000 copies of Pezhaipura and 1,250 copies of Namaskara magazines in May

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION • Support for 45 Christian volunteer teachers from Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Kandy, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Ampara, Batticaloa, Hambantota and Kegalle

• Education support for 242 children and youth • Distribution of 305 Sinhala and Tamil bibles in the Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces • Legal aid for 11 pastors in Weeraketiya, Radawana, Chilaw, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Vaharai, Nittambuwa, Padukka, Katuneriya and Makola

• Emergency assistance for 11 pastors from Bakamuna, Medirigiriya, Nittambuwa, Colombo, Ingiriya, Warakapola, Gonawila, Baduraliya, Polonnaruwa, Avissawella and Kadawatha

• Legal advice provided for a Pakistani asylum seeker • Livelihood assistance for 15 families in the Southern and Eastern Provinces • 2 legal letters sent out on behalf of persecuted pastors • 2 advocacy seminars in Polonnaruwa and Kandy benefiting 81 pastors and ministry workers • Printing and dissemination of booklets on the Right To Information Bill in English, Sinhala and Tamil • An advocacy meeting with the Secretary to the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government regarding the issues faced by Christian burials in public cemeteries

RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT • 4 child protection programmes conducted for 60 children and 23 adults in Badowita and Grandpass • Nutrition programme benefiting 76 preschool students in Kilinochchi • Distribution of sports items to 4 Child Circles benefiting 384 children in Vavuniya • Training programmes on the self-help approach concept and the importance of savings, loan and funds • • • • • • • • • •

management, goal-setting and self-management A Participatory Rural Appraisal on wellbeing and social mapping conducted in Vavuniya with the participation of 52 persons Formation of 6 self-help groups in Vavuniya Training for 4 self-help group members in jewellery and ornament making Facilitation of Training of Trainers programme in business mentoring for 17 persons Grant of a water purification system as a livelihood initiative to a person in Puttalam 4 leprosy awareness programmes for 78 medical services personnel in Kandy and 314 students in Colombo and Galle Meetings with 22 interfaith leaders from Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Galle and Matara District steering committee meetings with 108 faith leaders in Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura and Galle Leprosy awareness sessions at Pastors’ Fellowships meetings for 122 pastors from Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Ratnapura and Ampara 685 leprosy Sunday services conducted in Anuradhapura, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Monaragala, Batticaloa, Ampara, Galle, Matara and Hambantota