Female and male participation

Model home garden development and once successful future replication. Linking community with external services, markets and technical support wil ensure obtaining a good market for their produce.

N/A

Project proposal to be submitted to support the women of Palloswawe in Pabulugoda.

Project team members participated and shared experience in 2 workshops organised by The Nature Forum which are: ?Traditional Knowledge Documentation and On Farm Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity? held at CES Field Base in Sigiriya from 4th to 5th July 2004 Biodiversity Conservation aspects and capacity building of members in August 2004 at Randenigala

Request was made to Hon. Minister for Nation Building and Development Mr Damu Dasanayaka for funds to implement a rain water harvesting project to the households at Yaya 10, Palugolla.

The focal point of the project was to create mass awareness on rain water harvesting and biodiversity conservation. These concepts were introduced to Meewellawa and Palugolla villagers. Apart from that, government officials such as Agricultural Officers, Grama Seva Niladhari, Agricultural Instructors and Non government organization officials at Nikaweratiya DS were invited to all project workshops and training programmess. To spread these concepts, several school awareness programmes were held at Nikaweratiya Divisional Secretariat. Number of training programs and workshops were held for capacity building of partners and villagers. Nine youngsteres were trained as Tutors of Home Garden Designing. They helped to design 16 models of home gardens as agro forestry systems as well as to give help and advice to others in their villages. Twelve masons were also trained on construction of rain water tanks and thus were used for construction of other rain water tanks in the area. Training on indigenous seed banks, seed preservation and nursery establishment will ensure long term sustainability of the project activities. In future, indigenous plants and medicinal plants will be produced in the village itself, thereby increasing their accessibility and sustainability.

The project was implemented through ?The Community Network Project? implemented by the government and facilitated by Care Sri Lanka in the area. The Community Network Project has made a platform for co-ordination of all existing CBOs, (Farmer Organizations, Mahila (Women?s) Societies, Samurdhi Society and Death Donation Societies,) in the area through a strong network with respective bodies. Rural Co-ordinating Committees (RCCs) were established with the representation of existing CBO leaders and Government field officers of the Agrarian Service Centers of GN divisions and would be the base for strong community network in the area for the long run existence. All support, assistance and co-ordination comes from government authorities, NGOs, and private sector through RCC to the village level. This has created an effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting scheme for project activities. It also creates an open platform to discuss and report on project activities with all stakeholders. The impact of the project will influence to make necessary policy changers in using traditional and modern rain water harvesting techniques in maintaining and conserving the home garden for long term food security as well as maintaining the concept. Twenty nine rain water tanks have been built in the Kotaveheral Divisional Secretariat through funds obtained from president?s funds, since the beginning of the project. Rain water harvesting in now a policy of the Government of Sri Lanka.

There is a request for project replication in the same project areas. A request was made by a group of women in Palloswawe in Pabulugoda Yaya at the final workshop held at ?Paradise Inn?, Awlegama, Wariyapola. These women came to know of the project activities through their children who have attended the awareness programme. The project team visited the site on a previous occasion and noted that their land is a 2 acre plot (average), and that they do not have enough water for cultivation. Existing wells in the vicinity are more than 34 ft deep which dries up during the dry season. There is a group of 8 families who are interested in replicating the project activities. There was also a request from Fisheries village in Yaya 10, Palugolla too for construction of rain water harvesting tanks for 108 villages living in this village as they do not have drinking water at their homes.

Through a participatory approach, the locla community take part in planning, designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluatinf the project. Representatives from the community have given an oppurtuniy to actively take part in monthly progree meetings and field visits to elaborate their views and ideas. Community Participation is $ 5121