At a number of its meetings during the last several years successive SCOT General Councils have discussed in general terms the desirability of funding a major development project in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka. But lack of positive outcome was probably because all available resources and effort were engrossed in achieving the main objective of SCOT, that is, to provide relief and rehabilitation, to alleviate poverty, and to work and campaign to protect and promote human rights among the Tamil-speaking people of Sri Lanka.
This routine of care and attention to the desperate needs of communities in the NorthEast affected by more than two decades of the ethnic war was suddenly interrupted by the December 2004 tsunami. SCOT responded to urgent requests for help by making funds available very promptly towards immediate needs. This was followed soon afterwards by funds towards other necessities of life.
As the extent of the devastation became clear, SCOT General Council made a series of decisions in order to manage its tsunami relief activities efficiently and effectively. Within a short time, the idea of undertaking a ‘major project’ as the third and final component of its tsunami relief and rehabilitation endeavour gained favour with the General Council as well as with the wider SCOT membership.
In the meantime, SCOT received numerous applications for post-tsunami rehabilitation projects. These were mainly requests for funding healthcare and buildings construction projects.
SCOT President and his team carefully considered and evaluated all projects and recommended that the Preschool Project at the village of Athikovilady in Vadamarachi District in Northern Sri Lanka, proposed by TRO at an estimated cost of approximately £14,000 be adopted as the SCOT Tsunami Relief Project. The General Council accepted that recommendation.
TRO is a Government registered charity in Sri Lanka and is the major local NGO in the NorthEast for relief and rehabilitation work. It is close to the local community and has the necessary attributes to implement the projects it undertakes. These are factors, in addition to the compelling need for a preschool in Athikovilady that persuaded the General Council to decide in favour of the said project.
SCOT and TRO signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2006 and construction of the preschool commenced on the 21st of February 2006. The project is due for completion by August 2006. SCOT President and General Council acknowledge with gratitude the generous support of its members and well-wishers. SCOT needs their continuing support to carry on with its work, in tsunami relief as well as in its regular funding activities.
Contact details and more information are available at the SCOT website: www.scot-uk.org.uk
The President and members of his Team will be very happy to hear from anyone with offers of support, assistance or other proposals.
| 1. SCOT Major Project – Background and History |
| • | Discussions in general terms about the desirability of SCOT undertaking a major project in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka have taken place at several General Council meetings from the late 1990s onwards.
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| • | The projects discussed in outline ranged from a Regional Training and Standards Centre, Universities – Industry Joint Research Programme, to a Centre for Promotion of Appropriate Technology in the NorthEast.
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| • | An early positive step taken by the General Council in this respect was approval of funds in April 2003 to establish if a need existed for such a project in the NorthEast, and if it did, to present options which the General Council can consider.
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| 2. Impact of devastation by the tsunami |
| • | The devastation caused by the December 2004 tsunami in many coastal areas of the NorthEast is well known.
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| • | Requests to SCOT for help from partner organisations in the NorthEast in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami were responded to promptly with funds towards medicines, healthcare services and emergency feeding.
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| • | Requests in the weeks and months after the tsunami towards the temporary shelters, household effects and other necessities of life were dealt with quickly too.
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| • | As the extent of the devastation unfolded, SCOT General Council made a series of decisions in order to manage its tsunami relief activities efficiently and effectively.
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| • | Significant among these decisions were: (i) Support to tsunami relief should not adversely affect SCOT regular funding activities, (ii) towards this end a dedicated tsunami relief fund should be set up and active fundraising should be undertaken, and (iii) feasibility of linking the much discussed ‘major project’ to post-tsunami rehabilitation should be explored.
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| • | In time a consensus within the General Council emerged; the overwhelming opinion was that SCOT should undertake a major project as part of its tsunami rehabilitation programme. There was strong and significant support for this view from the wider SCOT membership too.
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| 3. Funding Applications received |
| • | In the meantime, from February 2005 onwards, SCOT received numerous applications for post-tsunami rehabilitation projects. Significant among these included requests for funding a mobile medical clinic, a clinical pathology laboratory, and building projects, included construction of family houses, community centres, and pre-schools (nursery schools). The project proposals for community centres and preschools offered well over fifty locations for each at villages severely affected by the tsunami.
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| • | The cost estimate of each of these projects was in the region of SL Rs 2M to 6M (some £11,000 to £33,000 approximately).
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| 4. Project selection and decision process |
| • | SCOT Funding policy, namely, “Always in keeping with the needs and priorities of the community in the NorthEast; Application of available resources to where the need is greatest, and on the basis of sound value for money” was adhered to.
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| • | Normal SCOT method of working with a project partner organization that is close to its local community was also favoured. The reliability of the partner organisation, its resources and skills to undertake a project of the type and nature under consideration were also deemed appropriate.
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| • | By June 2005, two construction projects, a community centre, and a preschool, emerged as clear favourites with the General Council. Both projects had well prepared project proposals, drawings, schedules and cost estimates. But the locations for these were still undecided although the choice offered was wide, and gathering of information by SCOT President’s committee necessary for proper project selection continued.
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| • | At the October 2005 meeting of the General Council the President presented all relevant information available at that time with regard to both these projects, and recommended that the preschool at the village of Athikovilady in Vadamarachi District in Northern Sri Lanka, proposed by Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) at an estimated cost of SL Rs 2.5M (approximately £14,000) be adopted as the SCOT Tsunami Relief Project.
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| • | TRO is a Government registered charity in Sri Lanka and has been active in rehabilitation work in the NorthEast over many years. It is the major local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in the NorthEast for relief and rehabilitation work.
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| • | TRO was commended by the former President of Sri Lanka and was honoured with a merit award by her for its post-tsunami relief and rehabilitation work; there is compelling evidence that it is close to the community and has the resources, skills and commitment to implement the projects it undertakes.
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| • | The General Council accepted the recommendation and authorised the President and Projects Officer to treat the said project as a SCOT Major Project and deal with it accordingly.
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| • | SCOT President and Projects Officer continued with obtaining further information and clarifications from TRO Planning Director and prepared a Memorandum of Understanding on the basis of TRO’s original proposals supplemented by the further information and clarifications obtained.
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| • | A Memorandum of Understanding was prepared, agreed with TRO Planning Director, was presented to the General Council at its January 2006 meeting and was signed soon after by the authorised signatories on behalf of SCOT and TRO.
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| 5. Preschool at Athikovilady |
| • | The proposed preschool at Athikovilady is a single story building 40 ft x 20 ft with electricity supply and sanitation facilities, a well and outdoor play area within the compound, with secure fence and gate.
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| • | The building will be furnished and provided with indoor and outdoor play equipment and facilities; it could lend itself to other uses by the local community.
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| • | Athikovilady is a tsunami affected coastal village in Vadamarachi District, previously disrupted badly by the ethnic war, and has not yet fully recovered from that disruption.
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| • | Population of Athikovilady is 908, comprising of 220 families with 65 preschool children. Occupation of the village folk is mostly fishing; they are generally regarded as disadvantaged, and are very poor.
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| • | Work on the building commenced on the 21st February 2006 and is expected to be completed by August 2006; project cost is SL Rs 2.5M as stated above.
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| 6. Continuing Care for the hapless |
| • | SCOT General Council is mindful not to let its tsunami relief initiatives adversely affect its regular funding activities.
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| • | Financial support to a range of organisations and activities in the NorthEast has to go on without serious disruption. Assistance to Orphanages, Children’s Homes, Elders’ Homes, nutrition programmes for children, counselling torture and trauma victims, healthcare initiatives and widows’ income generation activities are examples of continuing care by SCOT to the needy in the NorthEast.
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| • | In post-tsunami rehabilitation too, once Athikovilady Preschool Project has been satisfactorily concluded, it is SCOT intention to initiate other projects in the NorthEast on the basis of needs of the local communities and resources SCOT can muster.
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| • | To meet these challenges, SCOT needs the continuing support of its members, friends and well-wishers.
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| 7. How friends and well wishers can help |
| • | The President and General Council acknowledge with gratitude the regular support of members and particularly the spontaneous and generous contributions from members, friends and well-wishers to SCOT ‘Tsunami Relief Fund’.
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| • | Friends and well-wishers are welcome to consider membership of SCOT. Membership is increasing, slowly but steadily. This is a welcome trend.
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| • | Members who could spare a little time can consider joining the General Council to assist in the decision making.
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| • | Contact details and more information are available at the SCOT web site: www.scot-uk.org.uk
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| • | The President and members of his Team will be very happy to hear from anyone with offers of support, assistance or other proposals.
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