A monthly update of the GTZ Jaffna Rehabilitation Project
February 1998
Education - the corner stone of society
Ghost structures, or almost nothing
are cruel reminders of what stood there once - school buildings, the vital
infrastructure of children’s education. The extensive damage to these buildings
has forced school authorities to house them in different locations, and
in some cases conduct lessons out in the open under the shade of a spreading
tree.
Though the GTZ Jaffna Rehabilitation Programme initially expected to rehabilitate more schools, because of the extensive damage to school buildings, it had no other option but to limit its work to only eight schools as a first phase.
Rehabilitation is in no way limited to only the school buildings, but these schools will be equipped with furniture, sports equipment and the maintenance of the buildings once work is complete.
The School Development Societies (SDS) will form an integral part of the entire operation in decision making as well as ensuring the physical work, thus making the project sustainable as well as creating a sense of achievement and ownership. Twenty percent of the project cost is to be borne by the SDS. This could come in the form of physical labour or monetary donations from past pupils. The assistance provided by the School Works Department (SWD) in Jaffna is greatly appreciated by the GTZ as well as the SDS.
It is estimated that approximately 6,500 students will benefit directly from this project.
The total construction cost of the Schools Rehabilitation Programme is estimated at Rs. 25 million.
The GTZ Social Mobilization Unit conducted 51 programmes in 1997 in the areas of Human Resource Development, Health Education, Leadership Training and Conflict Resolution. A total of 1467 persons comprising of students, teachers SDS members participated.
It is envisaged that parents, pupils and teachers will find this an opportunity to break out of their backwardness and dependency syndrome, by participating actively in this project.
Beneficiaries of
the GTZ School Rehabilitation Programme
* St. Anthony’s College - KaytsGTZ Profile* Canagaratnam MMV Jaffna
* Hartley College, Point Pedro
* Koththawathai American Mission Tamil Mixed School Velvetithurai
* Kopay MV, Kopay
* Uduppiddy American Mission College, Velvetithurai
* Kopay Christian College, Kopay
* St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Girls Vidyalayam, Passaiyoor.
The German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) is an aid granting organisation of the Government of Germany, and its policy and philosophy of granting aid is through governments of the receiving country.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH is owned by the German Federal Government and has its head office in Eschborn. It is commissioned to undertake specialist planning and implementation of measures for technical cooperation with developing countries. It acts on the basis of a general agreement with the Federal Government Development policy which is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ).
Having commenced operations in Sri Lanka in 1973, the GTZ currently has 20 projects in operation.
Aid of the GTZ is usually in the form of material assistance and experts. These are channeled through the relevant Ministries of the aid receiving country, but the implementation of the projects are supervised by the local GTZ Team Leaders of the respective projects in close co-operation with the local authorities - their partners.
The nature of projects covers a wide spectrum of fields such as rural development, rehabilitation of infrastructure, technical training, agriculture, sanitation, coast conservation, education, water management and garbage disposal, livestock management and training of entrepreneurs etc.
Development must be guided, and the existence of the GTZ is to help to bring about these deliberate changes. Providing people a better chance in life, while maintaining their natural fundamental lifestyle.
The rehabilitation of 17 schemes with the funds received from the EuropeanCommunity Humanitarian Office (ECHO) is well underway.
While ECHO has granted funds to purchase materials, skilled & unskilled labour is required from the beneficiaries in the villages.
16 Working Groups have been formed
to organise and implement the work with the assistance of community based
organisations. Government officials from the relevant departments too,
will participate in this project.
Dr. Reinhard Bolz, the new country Representative of the GTZ for Sri Lanka, has resumed duties with effect from October 1997
Having received training in Colombo in October 97 in Business Management, this group of 24 persons have formed a society amongst themselves, thus enabling them to work as a team.
They plan to impart their knowledge by conducting similar workshops in Jaffna to train other trainers in this field.
