Project Report
| Jun 22, 2020
Relief Distribution at Kaldemulla and Angulana
By Himangi Jayasundere | Independent Consultant, Information ManagementUnit
![Relief goods ready for distribution]()
Relief goods ready for distribution
- For whom: 140 needy families that consisted of 2 or more children.
- Where: In the areas of Kaldemulla and Angulana. The distribution locations were heavily populated urban areas characterized by substandard housing and infrastructure.
- Why was the place selected: PEaCE had previously conducted medical camps and clinics in the selected areas and had already identified the target areas as poverty pockets within the Colombo district. Further, the government of Sri Lanka had restricted travelling out of the Colombo district. Therefore, the the program was a safe way to meet the needs of families in urgent need of basic relief items. The low cost of transport was an added advantage.
- When: Wednesday, 03rd June 2020
- What: Basic dry ration package
- How was it Financed: This project was financed from the grant allocated to PEaCE by GlobalGiving and other external funding sources. Rs. 317,670.00 (1700 USD) worth of goods were delivered as relief.
- Problems faced by the beneficiaries during COVID-19: The families which were selected are severely underprivileged. The particular areas are identified as poverty pockets in the Colombo district. Almost everyone in the area subsists on daily wages. The locations are heavily populated urban areas, and they lack infrastructure facilities. Due to the island wide curfew, many of them struggle to fulfill their basic needs. The situation worsened when the Government of Sri Lanka lifted curfew for the entire island except for Gampaha and Colombo Districts. These particular areas were ignored because most of the relief efforts were concentrated on more rural areas of the country.
- Difficulties faced by the relief team in their efforts: Obtaining permission from law enforcement agencies to distribute the relief was a very difficult task. It was a challenging job to find suitable transportation methods during the covid 19 pandemic. The selected locations were heavily populated urban areas that carried a potential high risk of infection.
![A mother and daughter receive goods for their home]()
A mother and daughter receive goods for their home
![A long line of people waiting to receive goods]()
A long line of people waiting to receive goods
![People picking up relief packs at a location]()
People picking up relief packs at a location
![Armed with food for the family]()
Armed with food for the family
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Jun 8, 2020
Dry Rations to Mattakkuliya
By Shivashankari Sivananthan | Communications Officer
![A chance for survival]()
A chance for survival
- For whom: 200 severely underprivileged families
- Where: In the slum area of Mattakuliya, Colombo
- Why was the place selected: Because it was one of the nearest (lesser transport costs and state preventions from traveling out out of Colombo) and most in need locations.
- When: Sunday, 19th April 2020
- What: Basic dry ration package
- How was it Financed: It was financed from funds received from this project, the grant allocated to PEaCE from GlobalGiving as part of disaster recovery Facebook, and other external funding sources.
- Problems faced by the beneficiaries during COVID-19: The area is close to the canal with no disease controls. As the flimsy homes are packed close there is no way to maintain distance. The people a well below the poverty line and subsist on day wages such as three wheeler driving. Now with the curfews and no rainy day funds, many are starving. While relief packages are given in countryside and urban areas, as this slum is within a central Colombo city, they are mostly ignored by the relief efforts.
- Difficulties faced by the relief team in their efforts: Getting state approval to provide the relief, lack of transportation options, a risk of infection as the area has low disease control with houses stacked close - which meant that there was a severe need for safety measures such as safety masks amd others
![A truckload of relief packages]()
A truckload of relief packages
![The area that received relief]()
The area that received relief
![Waiting patiently in hope for a new day]()
Waiting patiently in hope for a new day
![A father and daughter wait in line]()
A father and daughter wait in line
![A delighted mother]()
A delighted mother
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