“Unite for a Better Future for Women in Sri Lanka”

The exchange program between Fisher Women in the East Coast to West Coast of Sri Lanka

Held Between Baticoloa women organizations and Sri Vimukthi Fisher women Organization, Negombo, which was held 11^th December to 14^th December, 2012.

The First Day:  The Batticoloa team arrived at NAFSO around 2.00pm which is well on the scheduled time. As they were left STA Foundation office at Kallady at Batticoloa by 5.00 in the morning they were able to reach Negombo as planned. There were 27 members[24 female and 3 male] in the group and also 3 kids were joined with the team. Mr. Kamaldhas, the coordinator of STA Foundation has sent a message to the coordination team mentioning that the women are scared to leave their small children at home as storms, cyclones, gales and also tsunamis are prevalent at Baticoloa during December.

The Negombo team which included the members from Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women Organization and also the NAFSO secretariat members warmly welcome the women group with traditional Tamil welcome custom call arathie. 

The program began with the welcome speech delivered by Subashinee Deepa, the coordinator of SVFWO. It was very cordial welcome of Suba in which she mentioned that  the Negombo women are open their hearts and minds  to receive the sisters and their kids from Batticoloa. Pradeep Laksiri, the Youth and environmental coordinator of NAFSO, set the objectives of the program.

 The women leaders at Batticaloa to connect with women’s groups of traditional small scale fishing  communities in other parts of Sri Lanka (south)

b.      Io exchange experiences and link up struggles/ advocacy.

c.       Of enhancing reconciliation between ethnic Sinhala and ethnic Tamil communities,

d.      To get assistance in realization of a collective livelihood pilot project for women in fisheries, such as fish ponds preparations,  fish processing and marketing project.

After the objective setting, Ms. Geetha Lakmini Fernando, Admin Secretary of NAFSO intervened with the input of Introduction on SL fisheries in particular emphasis on women.

Some of the issues faced by SL fisher communities in the country were focused.

Ø  The imbalance of the input and the income from fisheries, fuel price and fisher people’s struggles,

Ø  Indian trawler issue and northern fishermen,

Ø  Market and Fish sales, fish processing and post harvest practices of women folk,

Ø  Access to sea, lagoon and inland fresh water bodies and proposed tourism plans,

are some of the points raised by Ms. Fernando.

As the response to Ms. Fernando’s input, the eastern coast women folk shared their burning issues even after 3 ½ years of ending war.

One of the main issue raised by the women are the encroachment of southern Sinhala fisher groups in to northern and eastern province waters and there is no any positive response to their grievances.

  

The work of the STA Foundation and the issues raised by Ms. Puvanendran are as follows;

Ø  Least attention or lack of proper interventions by the development agencies, government authorities of women,

Ø  Women of fishing communities face serious hardships. Many households have lost male bread winners and became female headed.

STA Foundations Work;

1.       Working with Adult:

STA has formed an association of adults and work on their rights and protection.

2.       Youth and Children

Children and youth are depressed with effects of the war and become unemployed.  There is a necessity to organize capacity building program to empower them.

3.       Children Program

A home for parentless children is being carried out by STA Foundation. There are some programs conducted by the organization for the children. Some concern people are supportive to conduct the program.

Programs are being carried out for the providing necessities and help of women headed families.

Also some replanting programs are carried out as environmental activities.  There are number of disable people living in the villages and direct various agencies to assist those families and individuals.

 

After the input and the sharing of the floor, the group had the evening tea before the next group discussion.

As the final session of the day, the group was divided in to two groups for a discussion on the expectation sharing with the southern group and spent around one hour for the same.

Following points were emerged at the group discussions as the expectations of the women’s group.

·         Alleviate the ethnic divisions and build up friendship between the ethnic groups,

·         To understand how to build up communities through organization formation,

·         To learn about the self help programs which are important to build up the economies of the women folk in those communities,

·         Some issues and solutions emerging as a result of working through an organization,

·         Understand how to work together in a common struggles,

·         To learn ways and means to work as a strong women organization on women and other developmental issues,

·         To learn how to keep proper accounts as an organization,

The first day was ended with the dinner around 7.30pm