A Change of Life to the People of Karagastenna

PAST SITUATION
Karagastenna is a very remote estate located within the Divisional Secretariat area of Pallegama in the Matale District. To reach this estate we will have to travel about 14 miles from the Rattota-Gammaduwa junction through a more difficult sub road, where there is not a single house visible to our sight on both sides of this sub road. Grama Seva Officer is the only government officer who often visits this area from the village of Puwakpitiya. Though there is a primary school, it does not have any facilities. The line rooms at this estate are hundred years of old and were in a very dilapidated condition. The occupants due to fear, do not sleep in these rooms; instead they use to sleep in their kitchens, as the roofs and walls were on the verge of collapse. As there were only one or two useable toilets for the whole families, they use to go to the jungle to answer the calls of nature. Even the environment was unhygienic and untidy. They did not have pure water to drink. They had been using water contaminated with germs and their children had been suffering from various epidemic diseases; Diarrhoea and skin diseases.
However, as the estate had been closed down for nearly 1 ½ years, the number of families lived there had been reduced from 80 to 55. About 25 families had moved to some other places for employment. Now there are about 45 permanent families.

PRESENT SITUATION
A vast change has been taken place in the lives of these people which could be described as physical and mental. After the entry of ‘SETIK’ and ‘CRS’ into this estate, in January 2009, these changes started to occur. Now, the reconstruction and rehabilitation work has been carried out at this estate after enlightening the community into various teams. The following repairs and construction work have been carried out now;
· The roofs of three dilapidated line rooms have been repaired.
· Damaged walls of two line rooms have been repaired.
· 45 Toilets have been constructed.
· Water pipe lines have been installed to these families.
As a result of the above services, they lead a peaceful life with self respect and mental happiness. Now, there is a great revival in their life and they are with smiling faces. We too are indeed happy to see their smiling faces by providing our services for their peaceful life.

VESTING THE SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE

Vesting of these three projects to the people was ceremonially held on the 28th of January 2011. The commemorative plaques of these projects were declared open by Rev. Fr. Camillus D. Jansz, the Director of ‘SETIK’ and Ms. Michelle Markey of CRS. Later, a meeting was held followed with an inspection of these projects. On this occasion the estate management has given an assurance to maintain these projects continuously. The Grama Seva Officer, Manager-Plantation, and the staff of ‘SETIK’ organization also took part on this occasion. This ceremony was held with the participation of all labourers of Karagastenna estate.

Resource Persons Day 2010

The ‘SETIK’ organization in Kandy Diocese, conducts the awareness programmes, training programmes, and educational programmes in grassroots’ level in the plantation and the rural areas. These are being conducted in district level in Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya district and in the diocesan level.

Programmes (the following topics are covered)
· Participatory Development
· Community Organization and Leadership
· Protection of Rights (children’s, women’s, labourers’ and human rights)
· Vocational Training (women & youth)
· Eradication of Child Labour
· Protecting the Migrant Women who leave for Domestic Service
· Psychosocial Development
· Disaster Management
· Peace
· Protecting the environment
· Organic Farming – Organic Home Gardens
· Nutrition
· Health & Sanitation
· First Aid
· Resolving of Conflicts
· Positive Thinking
· Lenten Education
· Communication Skill Development

These programmes are conducted in Sinhala and Tamil mediums. For this purpose we have received the contribution of resource persons from the staff of our organization, universities, educational and vocational training institutes, ministry of education, department s of agriculture and animal husbandry, non-governmental organizations and freelance resource contributors.
In the past, we have not organized a friendly get-together of these resource persons. Therefore, in the year 2010, we celebrated the resource person’s day with the following objectives on the 27th of November 2010 at the SETIK auditorium, Kandy, which was presided over by the Director, Rev. Fr. Camillus D. Jansz.

· Appreciating the, resource contribution provided through this organization for the grass root level communities in the plantation and rural areas in the Central Province.
· Discussing the organizations focus in forth coming year
· Discussing their anticipated services in the forthcoming year
· Building up the inter-connection among them as a training pool.

The following out put has been achieved through these programmes:
· Improving the cordial relationship and understanding between the organization and the resource persons
· Further improving the community development attitude of the resource persons
· Using the knowledge and merits of the resource persons, for the methodical improvement of the organization
· The resource persons who live among various ethnic groups in the central province get an opportunity to identify each other and to build up their cordial relationship. Thereby improving national integration and peace process.
· Expansion understanding between the government and non governmental organizations.

It has been decided to conduct this programme on the last Saturday of the month of November in every year and it was fixed for the 26th of November 2011.

Opening the Owala Project to the Community

The following projects sponsored and implemented jointly by 'Caritas Kandy (SETIK)' organization and CRS organization were vested to the community. These were declared open by the Director-SETIK organization, Rev. Fr. Camillus D. Jansz at 10.00 a.m. on 6th of October 2010.

Projects;

• Reparing the roofs of the line rooms at 'Samagi' colony at Owala estate.
• Sanitation Project (35 new toilets have been built)
• Water supply scheme (Restoration of Pipe lines)

The Director, Administrator, officers attached to Migrants' unit, Youth unit and Platation unit of our organization took part in this function and it was organized by the CRS unit.

The Cooperation extedned by the Divisional Secretariat and the staff of Rattota Divisional Secretariat is indeed praiseworthy. Representatives of the Divisional Secretary also took part in this function.

This project was implemented within a period of eithteen months and the people are now enjoying these facilities. There is a remarkable change in the environment and the living conditions of the people now. There was a cultural event of the children, which reflected their abilities and talents.

Further, 'Samagi' community based organization (CBO) is fully devoted to fulfill the requirements of the people.

We wish them all success.

Environmental Exhibition

An exhibition organized by the ‘SETIK’ on the above, was held at the ‘Wahacotte Church’ ground on the 19th & 20th of June 2010, during the annual church feast.


The Youth, Human Rights and the Migrants’ unites of our organization were arrange an exhibition on the following objectives.

Youth Unit - Springs and their environmental significance in the Central Province.

Human Rights Unit - Let us protect the rights of the women.

Migrants’ Unit - Safe Migration


A massive crowd gathered for the annual church feast and the service. People showed a keen interest to view these exhibition stalls and a fair knowledge about ‘SETIK organization’.

Community Development Training Course

CRS project of Caritas Kandy (SETIK) organized and conducted Six (06) workshops as series of Community Development Training Course to mobilize target people of Karagastenna and Owala Estates in Matale district successfully. We were able to train them as trainers of training through different subject matters. In the process, CRS team of the SETIK, fully involved in coordination and contributed financially.

The following subject matters were discussed to enlighten their knowledge:

* Community Leadership and qualities of leaders

* Organic agriculture, home gardening and animal husbandry
- Practical training
* History of Community Development and its development
- Fundamentals of community development
- Duties and responsibilities of community societies
* Human Rights and its concepts
- Development of Human Rights and its categories
- Civil rights
* Disaster Management
- Community and technology
* Positive thinking
- Mental and health development
- Identification of community issues, Data collection updating

We have gathered the above subject matters of Community Development as a course to enhance knowledge and understanding of rural and plantation sector community. It was really helped a lot to them. We concluded this series of workshops on 09th May 2010 as its last training workshop. The certificate award ceremony was held on 15th May 2010 by Rev. Fr. George Sigamoney, the National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka, Rev. Fr. Camillus D. Jansz, the Director of Caritas Kandy (SETIK), Rev. Fr. Roy Clarence, the Director of Catholic Commission for Migrants, Rev. Fathers of Kandy Diocese, Rev. Sisters and other invitees were present at this ceremony. Also over 350 SETIK beneficiaries were participated this significant event as representatives of the rural and plantation sectors.

Commemoration of International Women's Day 2010

Caritas Kandy (SETIK), HR Unit, organized the international women’s day for the plantation and rural community on 27th March 2010 at Greenwood International School, Matale. The purpose of this ceremony was to lay emphasis on the responsibility towards protecting women’s rights, by way of building up environmental strategies for active participation.

There were 500 participants. This programme was conducted in Sinhala and Tamil languages under the topic of “Eradication of Domestic Harassment and Violation against Women”. Police officer in charge of women’s bureau, Kandy, Mrs. Bamunusinghe was the resource person. During the session many issues were discussed and decided to handover a memorandum to the Ministry of Child and Women’s affair.

Rev. Fr. Camillus D. Jansz, Director-SETIK, Rev. Fr. Roy Clarence, Director of Migrant Commission, Rev. Fr. Harold Thamel, Parish Priest of Matale, Officer in charge of Crime Division, Matale Police Station, Officer in charge of Child and Women’s Division, Matale Police Station and few Attorney-at-Lawyers were present.

During the day, there were cultural events took place in order to give more brightness to the international women’s day 2010.

At the end of the programme, a memorandum was presented to the Resource Person, (Police Officer in charge of Child and Women’s Division, Kandy Police Station), to hand over to the Child and Women’s Affairs Ministry.

Celebration of Thai Pongal Festival

The Thai Pongal celebrations in Kandy, Rattota and Hatton held on 16/01/2010, aiming at fostering Ethnic, Peace and Harmony, under the patronage of Rev. Fr. Camillus D. Jansz, Director-SETIK, staffs and Rainbow children numbering 110 altogether. Ceremony at Mahaiyawa Hindu Temple, was graced by delivering both in Sinhala and Tamil languages.

Celebrations at Rattota Mairmuttu Hindu temple attended to, by, Rev. Wimalarathna Thero of Ganetenna, Rev. Sr. Bertha and Rev. Sr. Calista of Rattota Holy Family Convent at which Resource Person Mr. M. Mohanraj, delivered a speech.

At the same time, Pooja conducted at Hatton Siva Subramaniam Kovil, well attended by SETIK staff inclusive of children, where the children were enlightened the prevalence of cultural unity among ethnic groups.