Reflections Newsletter Vol. 3/ Issue 2 (April - June)

Story

MESSAGE

Giving your gifts a Purpose!

All of us have been gifted with different skills and talents. Discovering these talents and utilizing them wisely for the betterment of ourselves and our communities is extremely important.

God has given you a specific talent with a purpose. It’s our responsibility to properly utilize these talents to fulfill God’s mission to make the world a better place. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10 that each of us should use whatever gift we have received to serve others. This is what ADRA does and pro motes.

ADRA consists of a group of individuals equipped with an array of unique talents. By utilizing this different talents, we have been able to serve hundreds and thousands of people across 118 countries around the world, changing their lives for the better.

Just like ADRA you can make a difference in another person’s life using your talents. While you make use of your talents to benefit yourself, utilize it for the benefit of others as well. Marcus Tullius Cicero says “Non nobis solum nati sumus,’’ which means we are not only born for ourselves. We humans coexist with one another. While our talents benefit others, their talents benefit us.

There’s no sense of delight when we only want to serve ourselves. Sharing our talents with other people can create more lasting fulfillment. Your talents have the power to

Devashri Peiris

Officer

Sri Lanka

COVER STORY

Thriving Amid an Economic Crisis

32-year-old Uma Maheshwary is a successful and an award-winning entrepreneur from the Elutoor division of Mannar. She and her family fled to India in 1990 seek ing refuge during the civil war. She lived in India until she returned to Sri Lanka in 2014 after marrying her spouse, Imran. They met each other while they lived in the Thoppukulai Welfare Camp. When they were in In dia Imran was a painter and a mechanic while Uma did various jobs to find a living.

Upon returning they found it extremely difficult to find a place to live. They lived in several places before they eventually settled on a small plot of land her grand father lent her in Eluthoor, a small remote village in Mannar. Imran does various odd jobs for a living. The meager income he earns is not sufficient to fulfill their family expenses, especially because they have two sons. ‘’My husband is a laborer. He does not work regularly. There have been days when he has not been able to find work,’’ narrates Uma.

Uma received a valuable opportunity to take part in a training carried out by the Divisional Secretariat of Man nar for aspiring entrepreneurs, which inspired her to start the business. Driven and focused on succeeding, she started her business amidst the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘’ I worked at a chemical factory. I utilized that knowledge and experience to start my business,’’ she says.

She began her business with limited support and resources. Her workshop used to be in a small wooden shed right in front of their house. “My previous workshop was not a very stable building. It would get flooded when there was heavy rain. Most of my expensive chemicals have even been destroyed,’’ she stated. ADRA identified the dire need for a better workshop and provided her raw mate rials to build a better building. Additionally, ADRA provid ed other resources which were identified as other needs of her business. Currently, she manufactures an array of best-selling products such as sanitizer, dishwash, soap, shampoo, detergent and much more.

After ADRA’s intervention her income has sky-rocketed. At first, she was only earning 5000 Sri Lankan rupees a month and at present her monthly income has risen to approximately 60,000 Sri Lankan rupees a month. As a result, they have been able to settle their loans and fulfill all their household expenses.

She hopes to eventually expand her business furthermore. Amid the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka, Uma is working extremely hard to develop her business. Her persever ance and commitment are awe-inspiring and influencing many others in her community as well.

ADRA’s intervention to support Uma is part of its Local Economic and Social Strengthening project funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.

STAFF TESTIMONIES

Dileka Abeykoon

Administrative Assistant - ACCEND Project

I joined ADRA in 2017 as the Administrative Assistant for its ACCEND Project. Before that I was completing an internship at a well-known bank in Sri Lanka. Through a friend of mine I got to know that ADRA is planning to implement a project in our village and that they’re looking for an Administrative Assistant. I applied with the encouragement of my friend and got selected.

The main reason I applied for the job was because I wanted to be financially stable. There are 5 members in my family and the income my father earned at the time was not sufficient. By applying for ADRA I wanted to finance my studies and contribute towards our household expenditure.

I only had a little understanding about how non-governmental organizations function. After I started working at ADRA my knowledge and understanding broadened. I was also influenced to help other people and practice kindness and compassion on a daily basis. After joining ADRA I was able to improve my English fluency as well and it contributed very much towards the development of my professional life. While I appreciate the good work that ADRA is doing, I would like to thank everyone at ADRA for giving me the opportunity to work there.

NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS

Raising Awareness regarding Government Services

The third phase of ADRA Sri Lanka’s Local Economic and Social Strengthening (LESS) project conducted a series of programs to raise awareness regarding the services offered by local government institutions, among refugee returnee communities of the Manthai West and Nanattan Divisional Secretariats of the Mannar district. The project is funded by the Australian Government’s Depart ment of Home Affairs.

ACCEND Project Launches Handbook on Home Gardening

ADRA’s ACCEND project launched the Handbook on Nutrition Home Garden ing back in June. The book has been designed with the experiences gar nered and the practical and theoretical knowledge acquired through the gardens established by the project. It contains useful information on starting and carrying out an organic home garden with limited space, organic fertilizer and pesticide production, incorporation of traditional agricultur al methods, and how to benefit nutritionally and economically using one’s garden while combating food shortages.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Refugees in Focus

World Refugee Day which falls on June 20th each year is a day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the world. According to UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency), it is a day that “celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecu tion and an occasion to build empathy and understand ing for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.”

World Refugee Day is important because it sheds light on the rights, needs, and dreams of refugees helping to mobilize political will and resources so refugees can not only survive but also thrive. It helps to focus global attention on the plight of those fleeing conflict or per secution.

The decades long Sri Lankan civil war that broke in 1983 and ending in 2009, created approximately 1.5 million refugees seeking asylum in countries around the world, 84,000 of which ended up in India. To this day, thousands remain in India while others have returned.

The challenges that were faced by the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka after the conclusion of the war in 2009 ranged from damaged and or non-existent infrastructure, constrains in reclaiming lands, lack of employment opportunities, deterioration of social services to lack of social cohesion, psychological trau ma and more.

The issues affecting refugee returnees and the commu nities they are more prone to settle in (Northern and Eastern Provinces) are multiple and complex, requiring an economic boost and strengthening of community so cial capital. When their needs and wants are being left unanswered for over a decade, these communities opt to relocate and some to attempt illegal migration.

While repatriation back to their home countries is one of the most preferred options of refugees, there are many challenges that oppose the realization of this excluding the most obvious reasons such as continuing conflicts, persecution etc. (the initial reason/ cause for people to flee their home countries).

ADRA Sri Lanka has been supporting the safe and vol untary repatriation process of these refugees through the LESS project funded by the Australian Government (DFAT) and in partnership with ADRA India. Through the LESS project, 5,000 refugee returnees are support ed through strengthened Refugee Reintegration Net works, economic growth is supported, family and local community economic systems are empowered, low income families and those with financial challenges re ceive livelihood support, Drop In Centres and toll-free helplines are expanded to support information dissem ination, community owned structures such as Protec tion Working Groups in Camps and Coordination Committees in Non-Camps are capacitated and livelihood skills training is provided to voluntary returnees.