Sri Lanka Estate Community Development Mission (ECDM)

Hatton

Province

The Church of Ceylon (E-P to the Archbishop of Canterbury)

Diocese

Colombo

Goal

To empower the plantation community towards the Right to Development (RTD) that seeks full human development.  We primarily focus on children, women, youth and community leaders seeking to impart the fullness of life in Christ. Our programmes revolve around our concept that “Education is the Key to transformation”. Our goal is to work for the socio-economic transformation with dignity for the person, through awareness and education, by using the human resources of the community as well. We comfort the victims, confront the victimizers and seek transformation of both.

 

Our method is to be the catalyst. We live with the people and journey with them as an insider in the process of empowerment. We empower the local church and believe that the church is the unstoppable force called by God in bringing transformation in the world.

Activity

  1. We run an educational programmes for children and adults, including IT education and higher education.
  2. Assistance towards helping people to obtain basic documents such as birth certificates, identity cards, marriage certificates etc.
  3. Advocacy work carried out in collaboration with other stakeholders through networking to address the root causes of low pay and lack of employment rights in terms of policy decision at state level.
  4. Nutritional programmes and medical camps directed towards pregnant women, lactating mothers and children.
  5. Awareness programmes directed towards rights and responsibilities particulalry on women and children including gender issues.
  6. Importantly equipping the local parish to function as change agents in the community through Church Community Mobilization Process (CCMP)
  7. A Family Aide Programme (FAP) which will focus on value education and realtionship issues.

Outcomes

  1. The local churches will be mobilized as change agents creating change agents within the plantation community.
  2. Children being provided with early childhood education and extra coaching in education are achieving better standards in school, some for the first time entering university.
  3. Malnourishment of children under 05 will be reduced substantially. This will produce healthy children who will be in a healthy position to pursue education
  4. The community being more aware of their rights and responsibilities are better integrated in the social system. Less domestic violence and gender equality is   envisaged.
  5. The local and global communities being made aware of the causes and the condition within the plantation communities in Sri Lanka for participation and action.
  6. The basic identification documents programme will substantially reduce the no. of persons without the vital documents such as the birth certificate, Identity cards etc.,, this will mobilize the community and will help them to break free from a confined life style that is restricted to their local estates only.
  7.  The relationship and the collaboration created with various stake holders and the advocacy programmes carried out will make these stake holders, particularly the state machinery and the plantation management to better focus the issues of the community and to enhance the quality of services that need to be provided to the community.
  8.    The networking programme will initiate a common forum that will function as a strong lobby for the benefit of the plantation community both within and outside the plantation areas.
  9.  The Family Aide Programme (FAP) will address one of the most important needs of the society today. There will be reduced domestic violence and psychological and physical trauma due to broken relationships will be reduced both in the community and in the church. This produce better environment for the children to grow,

 

Main language

Tamil