Berendina with Rs.2 bln budget is largest, funded NGO in Sri Lanka
View(s):Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Berendina has become the largest locally-funded NGO in Sri Lanka, with a budget exceeding Rs. 2 billion, according to its Chairman Dulan De Silva. The organisation currently works in Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Galle, Matara, Batticaloa and Puttalam districts.
Most recently, Berendina extended its services to Puttalam with the opening of a combined Berendina Development Services (BDS) and Berendina Employment Centre (BEC) office in this district in March of this year. The organisation also highlighted Anamaduwa, Karuwalagaswewa, Pallama, Kalpitiya, Mundalam and Nawathegama as areas in Puttalam that are “experiencing acute poverty”.
The organisation had also, previously, set up a combined BDS and BEC branch in Batticaloa in February 2014, the organization said in a media statement.
In 2014 alone, major Berendina projects included an ongoing “Water Supply and Hygiene Promotion” project which will eventually provide water for 1,000 Batticaloa families. According to Berendina; “Under the project 1,000 families in three villages in the Eravur Pattu DS Division, namely; Siththandy-1 (One), Siththandy-2 (Two) and Siththandy-3 (Three) will be provided with water connections through the National Water Supply and Drainage Board. The project will also provide hygiene promotion trainings and awareness programs for selected beneficiaries. PALM Community Development Services will be the implementing partner in this project. The total cost of the project will be Rs. 5. 4 million and this is provided as a partial interest free loan by BDS to Palm. The availability of pure water will enable the people in these villages to reduce water related diseases as well as get easy access to water on tap which is a basic need deprived to them”.
Another large Berendina project, this time in Hatton, is as follows; “BDS built a total of 17 houses for flood victims in the Dickoya and Strathdon Estates in collaboration with the respective estate management, incurring a total cost of Rs. 5.18 million. 75 per cent of this expenditure was incurred by BDS and 25 per cent was incurred by the respective Estate Management.
What was appreciated by the families and planters was that this project commenced and was completed in amere five months and houses handed over in March 2014. BDS also helped reconstruct a footpath bridge in the Wanaraja Estate which is part of the Bogawanthalawa plantations group. This footpath bridge connected a section of the estate to the main Hatton town and the bridge was completely destroyed during the flood. BDS also initiated the necessary provincial and urban council approvals for the reconstruction work. Estate residents also supported the construction work through a ‘shramadana’ activity. BDS contributed Rs.575,000 towards the project, while Bogawanthalawa Plantations contributed Rs. 300,000. The reconstruction of the footpath bridge benefitted around 159 families on the estate”.
Additionally, BEC also provided 600 scholarships to youth from poor families, to pay for their enrolment at the Vocational Training Authority, which also covers their travelling and meal expenses. Further, to help these young people secure employment following their training being completed, career fairs were also being organised, which is also expected to pull in the participation from private sector companies.
In the meantime, in February, BDS held a ‘laughter yoga sana’ awareness programme at the Kotagala Shri Muthivinayagar Temple Hall. The event encompassed 105 elders from elders clubs in plantations formed by Berendina.
According to the organisation; “The concept of laughter sana yoga emphasises laughter as a means of stress reduction and since laughter stimulates feel good endorphins in the body and creates a positive mindset. The concept was first introduced by Dr. Madan Katari, an Indian Physician, in 1995 and currently there are over 700 laughter yoga sana clubs operating in more than 70 countries. Mr. P. Rajendra, a retired telecommunications engineer and social worker and a pioneer of the laughter yoga sana club in Sri Lanka, was the resource person at this awareness programme. Mr. Rajendra provided a wide range of benefits gained from laughter and the importance of indulging in laughter. Apart from laughter, breathing exercises, proper relaxation and meditation are also part of laughter sana yoga. BDS will support the conducting of weekly laughter sana yoga training programmes at elders clubs in the plantation sector”.
(JH)