‘Every drop matters’
From the skies, Trincomalee is a sight for sore eyes – lush greenery alongside brown fields. Yet on the ground the reality is different. For those who live here, the dry and extremely arid conditions make life a daily struggle. The war might be over, but the fight for survival is still hard.
One of the most persistent problems the people face is in getting clean water-here is the quintessential story of families walking for miles just for a bucket of water for their daily needs. In the small village of Kadadkaraichenai, villagers can be found trudging up and down the road leading to the water bodies every morning. The children go to school with big bottles of water or even buckets, because their school has no water either. Villagers will even tell you that they did not have a single tap until few months ago.
A schoolgirl enjoys a refreshing drink and below, all stakeholders pose proudly before the newly built water tank at Kadadkaraichenai Tamil Mixed School. Pix by Kishan Ranasinghe
Recognising the urgent need, the United Nations Development programme (UNDP) together with Coca-Cola Sri Lanka spearheaded a project to provide access to water for the people of Kadadkaraichenai and other areas. ‘Every Drop Matters’ is an apt expression of their philosophy in water management. The project, begun in August 2011, was to help revitalise communities in the interior parts of Sri Lanka that face severe hardships in accessing clean water and sanitation facilities. Working on the foundation that even a single drop forms a vital part of the ocean, the EDM project focused on providing access to these facilities and raising awareness about the importance of water management.
In Kadadkaraichenai 25 wells were renovated to benefit some 46 households. Three schools from the Kadadkaraichenai area- the Tamil Mixed School, Chenaiyoor Central College and Vipulanantha Vidyalayam- were selected for waste reduction and eco-conservation initiatives while awareness programmes were conducted on water and sanitation for students and teachers.
The young students of the school-some of whom don’t even have a pair of shoes – are perhaps the biggest champions of their new boons. “We used to walk a long way from home with water to use during the school day,” says Jediba, 13. “It’s really nice to be able to get water from school now.” A water and sanitation taskforce has been set up in each school and the children themselves are responsible for the upkeep of the facilities. After the health and hygiene awareness session, a waste collection system was also implemented with each school being provided waste bins.
In addition, an internal water supply system was renovated in the Government Tamil Mixed School of Kadadkaraichenai. A well and an overhead tank will also provide a much needed boost to the school garden, which is their means of an additional income.
Interestingly enough, the villagers themselves were an integral part of this process. Theirs was the labour used in the building of the wells and other facilities. “It gives them ownership of the project,” says Assistant Country Director for UNDP in Sri Lanka, Enrico Gaveglia, “Because this is something they built for themselves, it’ll be taken care of and used for many years to come.”
The UNDP initiated and Coca-Cola funded project has extended its reach to other areas as well-45 toilets were also built for the families in Dalukana village in Polonnaruwa. They hope to do more. K. Shanthiny, a community member of the Women’s Rural Development Society of Kadadkaraichenai says that these water and sanitation facilities are a major factor for their personal safety. “We used to go out to the forest for our needs. I’m glad that we have these closer to home now. Our women will be safer.”
For Vipulanathan, the newly constructed well in his home is not just a source of water, but a harbinger of good things to come. Before, the entire family walked miles for water. Now he and his children can have it within minutes-they have much more time left to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
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