Alliance News : April-June 2015

A 6 Year Old’s Fight for the Right to School P. 4

APRIL - JUNE 2015 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE OF SRI LANKA This Publication is for Private Circulation Only

What’s up @ the NCEASL Welcome to our second quarterly issue of 2015!

The Media and Communications Unit is excited to bring you our latest issue that highlights all projects and activities of the NCEASL which are carried out by its Missions and Evangelism, Religious Liberty and Relief and Development departments. This issue features the story is of a 6 year old who had to fight to gain admission to school because she was Christian.

To salute the almost 90,000 war widows in the North, East and South and International Widow’s Day on 23rd June and in light of our infographic shows war widows who have been empowered by livelihood loans. Sagarika’s happy story from the South makes it to the Picture of the Issue.

All’s Well that Ends Well Sagarika lives in a peaceful little village with her husband, son, daughter and extended family. (Sagarika’s story Cont’d P. 7)

We hope you enjoy the stories we compiled for you.

The Media and Communications Unit

Our Projects around the Country

Inter- Religious lawyers for FoRB In its efforts to strengthen Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) of the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) had been challenged by the dearth of lawyers who were willing to appear for legal cases of religious sensitivity. To meet this need, on 23rd May 2015, the RLC conducted a 1 day consultation on Religious Freedom in Batticaloa. Cont’d P. 2

Social Tourism: Experience Sri Lanka Like No Other The Alliance Development Trust (ADT) and the Sanctuary House organised a social tourism experience for a group of Indian academia recently. This group of 50 – students reading for their Masters in Social Work and their lecturers at St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore – visited a few of the ADT’s selected villages in North of Sri Lanka. Cont’d P. 2

ADT Delivers a Promise of Good Health The Alliance Development Trust (ADT) works towards improving the conditions of living of impoverished and war-affected communities with the aim of creating a better future for the children who call such communities home. Cont’d P. 7 Page 1 Alliance News April-June 2015

Social Tourism...Cont’d P.1 This experience which began on 12th April 2015, took them first to the historic city of Anuradhapura where they were able to interact with the leaders of the Devanampiyatissapura (Stage 1) community. Thereafter the group set-off in search of exposure to the post-conflict situation and with hopes of interacting with war-affected persons in the Northern Province. They met with the Government Agent for Jaffna who explained to them the situation in the North and the development spearheaded by the government. The students and lecturers were also able to interact with the community of Varani Iyattalai J344 in Jaffna.

On 14th April, the group travelled to the ADT’s selected villages in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu; namely Ulavanoor and Theravil. There they spent time talking to war-affected people and getting to know about the need for development and healing in a post-war situation. Professor Kiran together with the other lecturers found this a great opportunity to guide their students in understanding the need for social work in a context such as the post-war Sri Lanka. The professor was also glad that these visits proved useful in teaching a memorable lesson to the students outside the classroom. “They have lived the experience” the professor exclaimed. He also noted that the war had created a big dent on the livelihoods of the people. Thereby he was greatly appreciative of the development work carried out by the ADT. “I don’t believe in charity” he said. “I believe that sustainability is the key factor in development work which should be not be carried out at the cost of the environment” the professor stated, commending the ADT for being a catalyst for growth in rural and war-affected villages.

Read more on this visit on www.adtlanka.org

Religious Freedom...Cont’d P.1 The consultation brought together a group of 16 lawyers from different religious backgrounds from the North and East.

Hon.MP, M.A Sumanthiran a leading constitutional lawyer, Lakshan Dias a prominent Human Rights lawyer and Godfrey Yogarajah a renowned religious liberty advocate who also serves as the General Secretary of the NCEASL, facilitated the sessions.

An overview of Religious Freedom and its legal framework in Sri Lanka, legal challenges to religious liberty and strategies for effective religious liberty litigation were some of the topics addressed during the consultation.

The consultation resulted in creating greater awareness among the participants on both international and local laws pertaining to Religious Freedom while pointing to legal strategies that may be implemented.

Most notable, was the formation of Inter-Religious Lawyers for FORB - a network of lawyers who would share knowledge, collaborate and advance religious liberty litigation in their regions with the NCEASL playing the role of facilitator.

The consultation also encouraged the participants to take up cases, where legal representation had been hard to secure. For Karthiga from Kilinochchi the consultation proved to be a great opportunity to gain knowledge in an area that she was hardly familiar with but had an interest to legally advocate for. She felt the consultation gave her confidence to take up some of cases relating to the attacks on churches.

The participants were thankful to the NCEASL for facilitating a consultation that not only gave them the opportunity to interact with like-minded lawyers and share experiences but also ensured that their learning and support will be carried forward through the “Inter-religious Lawyers for FoRB”.

For more FoRB in Sri Lanka visit www.nceasl.org

Page 2 Alliance News April-June 2015

#EmpoweredWomen

Page 3 Alliance News April-June 2015

FEATURE STORY

FAITH AND EDUCATION: A 6 year old’s fight for the Right to School

I

t is the weekend and Nipuni* sits at a table in the living room of her home situated in the outskirts of Colombo, diligently studying.

For a 6 year old, Nipuni takes her education very seriously; she has a lot to catch up on having been admitted to Grade 1, approximately 3 months after classes had begun for her classmates.

Nipuni’s application to be admitted to the national school which is closest to where she lives was rejected in spite of having met the requirements set forth by the school authorities. Her parents had very good reason to believe that Nipuni’s application to Grade 1 was rejected because she was a Christian.

The said school that was once under the administration of the Catholic Church, was one of the many schools taken over by the state in 1960. Such faith-based schools that were taken over by the state by way of legislation through the Assisted School and Training Colleges Act of 1960. According to Section 3.2 of No. 5 of 1960, No. 8 of 1961 and No. 136 of 1963 of the Circular of the Ministry of Education. All schools that were managed by Religious Organisations are bound to maintain the percentage of the religious ratio that was present when the school was taken over by the state during the period of 1960-1961.

As reflected in the rejection of Nipuni’s application, the said school however, did not appear to follow this stipulation. When the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) met with Nipuni’s parents, they spoke to us in detail about the ‘point scheme’ under which the school functioned. “Though we furnished all the necessary documents that they required, we were not awarded the relevant points for the documents that we presented” said Nipuni’s father. Appeals following the decision were of no avail, with the school authorities, adamant that there was no place for her in the school.

Nipuni’s parents were desperate and spoke to anyone who they felt would be able to give them a fair decision. “Because the school didn’t respond to our appeal, we met with government ministers, officials and even tried speaking to the Catholic priests and the bishops but nothing worked out” they said, recalling the wearying experience. When they failed to receive an answer, they resigned themselves to send their daughter to a private school, which they could ill

afford. Nipuni’s father had even made arrangements to secure a loan from his workplace, while his wife decided to take on a job to supplement her husband’s income and meet the needs of her daughter as well as that of her son who is still in primary school.

that the matter now lay in the hands of the Ministry of Education.

Nipuni’s father found out that the Ministry of Education would take approximately 3 months to look into her case and provide an answer to the school.

They had almost given up hope when Nipuni’s father heard from his colleagues of the NCEAL’s Religious Liberty Commission and the assistance and advice it provided to those who were discriminated as a result of their faith.

After a long wait, the Ministry of Education then informed them that all the relevant documents had been sent to the school to reconsider Nipuni’s application and that it was now up to the school to admit her.

Though grateful for the NCEASL’s willingness to come forward and help them, the family were reluctant to take any steps that would be perceived by the community they lived in as confrontational. Being one among the few Protestant Christian families in the area with Nipuni’s father serving as a Christian ministry worker, the family were quick to draw the attention of their neighbours - all of which were not welcome. “They call us Bible People! They think that if we renovate our homes or even if we get a vehicle, that we are getting funds from abroad” exclaimed Nipuni’s father.

Besides this, the advice given by their Christian friends discouraged them further.

They told us “as Christians we shouldn’t take any legal action and that it could lead to problems for my daughter later on in the event the school accepts her. I was confused as to what I was supposed to do” said Nipuni’s father.

When Nipuni’s father met the principal again, he was told that the school would admit Nipuni as per the instructions of the Ministry. The family’s countless visits to the principal’s office and the Ministry of Education finally came to an end on 26th March 2015, when Nipuni was admitted to school.

“Because the school didn’t respond to our appeal, we met with government ministers, officials, and even tried speaking to the Catholic priests and the bishops but nothing worked out”

Baffled by the conflicting opinions and advice, Nipuni’s father met the Legal and Advocacy Coordinator of the Religious Liberty Commission of the NCEASL. The meeting helped him to see things more clearly. He realised that it was not only his right but also his duty to ensure that his daughter had a fair chance at gaining admission to the school.

The NCEASL sent a letter to the school principal, highlighting Nipuni’s right to education in the said school and inquiring the reasons as to why the child was denied admission, despite having met the requirements.

The school was asked to respond in 10 days. The case was also brought to the attention of the higher government and religious authorities in the area.

Following the NCEASL’s intervention, Nipuni’s parents met with the principal of the school. The principal however stated that admitting Nipuni to the school was not a possibility as the allocated number of children had been already admitted. She said

Nipuni and her brother study at the family’s dining table

“We were in a desperate situation when we couldn’t admit Nipuni to school; we were facing so many problems and there was no one to help us resolve it. When we heard that the NCEASL was helping those faced with such problems, we were very happy and became hopeful. It was because of the NCEASL that our daughter was admitted to the school, if not we would have given up all hope” said Nipuni’s father, extremely grateful for the NCEASL’s intervention that secured their daughter’s education. * Name has been changed to protect privacy of individual

For more on Faith and Eduction visit www.nceasl.org

Page 5 Alliance News April-June 2015

NEWS IN BRIEF Bhavani Courageously Embarks on a Livelihood The armed conflict which ended 6 years ago has left a significantly high number of war widows and women-headed households, predominantly from the Northern Province, struggling to make ends meet. Bhavani, a 44 year old young widow from Kilinochchi, finds it extremely difficult to bring up her three children, aged 6 to 14. “I am unable to leave home to find employment especially since my 10 year old son is disabled” she lamented.

Bhavani was one among 25 widows who received SLR 30,000 grant from the Missions Department of the NCEASL to set up a livelihood. With no experience, Bhavani courageously embarked on a poultry farm to support her family’s growing needs. “I bought 50 chicks from the grant I received. The local vet advises me on rearing the chicks” explained Bhavani adding, “I hope to sell the eggs to the nearby market where I can get ready cash”.

Training of Trainers for Water Conservation In marking World Water Day, the Alliance Development Trust’s (ADT) Water and Sanitation sector conducted a conference at the Rural Development Foundation in Vavuniya on 6th and 7th April, 2015. The 33 participants representing Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Colombo and Galle consisted of community leaders, teachers, the Preschool Coordinator for Vavuniya and a counsellor from the District Secretariat of Vavuniya. As the conference was conducted on a Training of Trainers (TOT) basis, the participants were empowered from the very beginning of the conference to reach out to others in their communities and social circles. The sessions covered topics on water consumption, water conservation, water contamination, the spread of communicable diseases via water and the problems related to the use of water in Sri Lanka. Ms Nayaki, the Preschool Coordinator for Vavuniya, was very grateful for this opportunity.

“As a person who works with children it is important to know about safe water consumption. Now I can teach children many things about water consumption” she expressed.

Sewing Machines for Female-Headed Households Following the success of the sewing machine distribution in Kilinochchi, the Rotary Club of Jaffna partnered with the Alliance Development Trust (ADT) once again to reach out to more female-headed households in the North. A total of 100 sewing machines were distributed amongst female breadwinners in Jaffna at a ceremony held on 23rd June, 2015 at the Thiyahie Charitable Trust hall, Jaffna. This programme was held to coincide with International Widows Day. Among the guests who graced the occasion were the District Governor of the Rotary and Member of Parliament - E. Saravanapavan. The sewing machines were distributed amongst the beneficiaries with the aim of enabling them

to provide for the needs of their families. The recipients were selected with assistance from the Government Agent for Jaffna from poverty-ridden and war-affected households. They were either widows or wives who support their families because their husbands are disabled or not capable of earning a living.

Thereby the sewing machine they received will aid them in providing for the needs of their children and other dependents from the comfort of their own homes. The recipients of the sewing machine will also receive training in dress-making and the material needed to pursue this livelihood. Those who respond favourably to the training will also receive help in securing a suitable market for their products.

With the aim of helping children hailing from such households, 100 stationery packs were also distributed among schooling children. As mothers who bear the burdens of the breadwinner often fight a daily battle to feed their families, the education of their children are often neglected. The stationery packs were thereby happily received by the beneficiaries who also received encouragement to pursue their education.

Touching Persons Affected by Leprosy The Touch Leprosy Campaign of the Alliance Development Trust (ADT) completed its training for 26 facilitators at a workshop conducted from 6th – 8th May at the Sanctuary House. The facilitators – pastors hailing from all districts of the country – are now fully equipped to conduct training programmes for other community leaders. As the campaign aims at empowering the Church to respond to the rising number of people affected by leprosy, the facilitators will train 2 persons each from 20 churches in their respective district. Empowered with recommendations from the Ministry of Health, the facilitators work closely with the local Physical Health Inspectors (PHI) to spread awareness on the prevalence of leprosy in the country, how it spreads, the symptoms and the treatment available. Together, they battle the stigma against leprosy and provide the necessary aftercare for those affected so that they can be successfully reintegrated into society.

Better Future For Religious Freedom The Religious Liberty Commission of the NCEASL hosted a camp from 9th – 21st June, on Religious Freedom and Peace Building at the Sanctuary House in Pamunugama.

The training programme brought together 64 young people from different religious backgrounds and living across all nine provinces. During the camp the youth received the opportunity to learn about religious coexistence and peace-building through group activities, sharing and reflection. The youth learned the importance of Religious Freedom as they were introduced to the more recent trends and developments in the area of religious intolerance. They also learnt the basic advocacy skills required to promote Religious Freedom and Human Rights in Sri Lanka. In the response to escalating incidents of anti-minority sentiments expressed online, the participants also learned how the very same technology could be used to counter such propaganda and turn the tide of hate.

Page 6 Alliance News April-June 2015

ADT Delivers...Cont’d from P.1 The Child Centred Community Development Programme (CCCDP) introduced to such communities, focuses on creating an environment of holistic development for the benefit of such children. Thereby, Change Maker Clubs are initiated by the ADT’s Children’s Sector in the villages it works in. The children of the village are encouraged to join this club and actively engage in the activities conducted for their benefit.

The ADT also provides for the basic needs of children from underprivileged homes who do not have access to nutrition, sanitation, education and healthcare. Children in most deprived situations benefit from nutrition programmes and the medical camps conducted regularly.

Recently, the ADT conducted health and nutrition programmes in 6 selected villages. The children of Suhadapura in Ratmalana received a medical check-up at their village from the Durdans Hospital on 25th April, 2015. The examination which benefitted 25 children, included blood test, urine test as well as height, weight, vision and a general examination.

A total of 26 children from Kahawathugoda 164E in Galle participated in a medical examination conducted by the staff of The Hemas Hospital. The children’s blood, urine, stool, height, weight, vision and heart function were tested. They were also checked by a General Practitioner (GP). Further, 65 children from Kahawathugoda 164E also received food packs on 16th May 2015. The packs contained green gram, kidney beans, chick peas, sugar, Samaposha (Cereal) and milk powder. A medical camp was conducted for the children of Theravil in

Mullaitivu with the support of the local government officials and the Ministry of Health. This camp which was held on 24th May 2015, benefitted 70 children whose blood, vision, height, weight and overall health condition were examined.

On 25th April 2015, 65 children of Kilikunjumalai in Trincomalee received nutrition packs containing chick peas, kidney beans, green gram, Samaposha and cream crackers.

These packs were distributed with the aim of promoting healthy eating habits among the recipients who also received advice on the importance of good health at the distribution.

Following a medical examination conducted for the children of Madukulam, Vavuniya, 16 undernourished children received nutrition packs. The packs which contained chick peas, kidney beans, Samaposha, milk powder, sugar, soya, dry fish and Ulundhu (Final), were distributed with the aim of restoring the children back to health.

A total of 30 preschool students of Ulavanoor, Kilinochchi received a nutritious meal daily for 2 months. This programme was conducted in order to redress the issue of malnutrition and to improve the parents’ interest in pre-primary education.

The wellbeing of the children living in these selected to villages are at the heart of all ADT activities. The projects conducted by the Livelihood and Water and Sanitation sectors too focus on improving the living standards of families, so as to create a better environment for the children.

All’s Well That Ends Well...Cont’d from P.1 Thanks to the tall trees and thick foliage, her well never runs dry even though four other families also depend on its water.

Sagarika’s children join the neighbouring children in games of tag around this little well in their garden. However, Sagarika feared that the children might come to harm as their well was unprotected. “We were scared for the sake of the children” she says. The neighbours too would grumble out their concerns that a miscalculated step or a friendly shove might send a child to the depths of death. Some even refused to use the well. No one however would offer to contribute towards constructing a proper well with a cemented rim around it. Sagarika and her husband wanted to construct a well but they did not possess the means needed to do so.

Sagarika was thereby extremely happy when she came to know that the Alliance Development Trust (ADT) was willing to help her construct a well. In August 2014, the ADT gifted Sagarika with material needed to build the well including cement, bricks, sand and stones. As the villagers learn to be self-sufficient and take ownership of every project conducted by the ADT, Sagarika and her husband had to construct the well by themselves. While her husband assisted the man he hired to

construct the well with the more difficult tasks, Sagarika too would help them in whatever way she could. “I helped by carrying the sand, bricks and cement” she smiles proudly. As they were building a platform to bathe and wash their clothes, Sagarika’s husband had to spend on additional material needed to complete the construction.

Now that the well is complete, Sagarika does not have to supervise her children at bath time. “They are always bathing now” she laughs. “They can draw water on their own because it is safe.” Sagarika is also happy that the neighbours have started to use the well again. “It is good that everyone is making use of this well” she says. She has faith that the water will be sufficient for all to quench their thirst, wash their clothes, bathe and use for their cooking. Sagarika has no fear of water contamination either. Thanks to the protective wall, the water is safe from sludge, dust and dirt which can be the cause of allergies and illness. Thereby she is very grateful for the assistance received from the ADT. “This is a great help” Sagarika expresses with gleaming eyes.

For more information visit our website at www.adtlanka.org

Page 7 Alliance News April-June 2015

PROJECTS AT A GLANCE Project

Location

Location

Project

MISSIONS AND EVANGELISM

RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT

School Pack and Church Pack Distribution

Trincomalee, Muthur, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi,Vavuniya, Mannar, Ampara, Kegalle, Puttalam, Nuwara Eliya, Hambantota, Batticaloa, Nawalapitiya

Timothy Training Institute Graduation

Colombo

Prayer Day

Nawala

Training of Community Volunteers

Training of Development Committees Training of Children’s Club Committee and Volunteers Traning on Disaster Risk Reduction

Varani Iyattalai, Ulavanoor Varani Iyattalai, Ulavanoor, Theravil, Madukulam, Ratmalana Ratmalana

Pastor’s Fellowship Meeting

Thunkorale

Book launch- Looking to Christ by Alroy Mark

Ulavanoor, Theravil

Colombo

Distribution of Microfinance Loans

Devanampiyatissapura

Standing Strong Through the Storm (SSTS)

Puthukudiyiruppu, Matara, Badulla, Mahiyangana

Traning on Resource Mapping

Devanampiyatissapura

SSTS- Training of Trainers

Pamunugama

Entrepreneurship Training

Devanampiyatissapura

Task Force

Colombo

Baseline Survey on Entrepreneurs

Theravil

Emerging Leaders- Training of Trainers

Colombo

Distribution of Sewing Machines for Widows and Stationery Packs for Children from Female Headed Households

Jaffna

Grants for 25 Widows

Kilinochchi

Seminar on Career Guidance

Madukulam

Young Leaders Programme

Vavuniya

Disribution of Education Material for Children’s Clubs

Varani Iyatalai, Theravil, Madukulam

Livelihood loan for 4 church members

Amapara, Gampaha, Galle, Kalutara

Medical Examination of Children

Theravil, Madukulam, Ratmalana

Emergency Assistance to 5 church members

Programme to Improve Child Pparticipation

Madukulam

Theological Book Packs for 155 theological students

Programme to Promote Good Health among Children

Devanampiyatissapura

Publication of Pezhaipura and Namaskara- 1000 copies of each publication

Nutrition Programmes

Ulavanoor, Madukulam, Kahawathugoda

Campaign on Drug and Alcohol Eradication

Vavuniya

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMISSION 1810 Sinhala Bibles Distributed

Eastern, Northern and Central Provinces

Programme on Child Rights and Protection

Madukulam

Evangel Care Scholarship - 220 students

Islandwide

National Conference marking World Water Day

Vavuniya

Kids Ed - 1 Student

Gampaha

Seminar on Sexual and Reproductive Health for Christian Youth

Colombo

Legal Aid - 5 pastors

Hambantota, Makola, Batticaloa, Gampaha, Ratnapura

Caring and Counselling for Persons Living with HIV

Colombo

Emergency Financial Assistance

Matale, Mannar, Vavuniya, Meegoda

Leprosy Vision Casting Seminar

Puttalam

Teachers Sponsorship Programme34 Teachers

Islandwide

Relief Assistance for Flood and Landslide Victims

Kandy

Legal and Advocacy Training

Matara

Social Tourism Programme for Indian Graduates

Selected Villages in the North and North Central Province

Legal Intervention - 3 persecuted churches and pastors

Kadawatha, Haputale

Children’s Club Meetings

Varani Iyattalai, Ulavanoor, Theravil, Madukulam, Devanampiyatissapura, Kilikunjumalai, Ratmalana, Kahawathugoda

Monitoring and Documentation of 21 incidents of Violence or Intimidation against Christians

Pollonnaruwa, Vavuniya, Mannar, Gampaha, Ratnapura, Colombo, Kandy, Kegalle

Meeting for Parents

Varani Iyatalai, Theravil, Madukulam, Devanampiyatissapura, Kilikunjumalai, Ratmalana, Kahawathugoda

Lawyers Training Programme on Religious Freedom

Northern and Eastern Provinces

Livelihood assistance 3 families

Anuradhapura

CONTACT THE NCEASL

Email: communications@nceasl.org Telephone: 00945511358

nceasl.org adtlanka.org Web: facebook.com/ADTSriLanka facebook.com/NCEASL twitter.com/nceasl

Page 8 Alliance News April-June 2015

Address: P.O. Box 113, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka