Ten years of Caritas in the heart of Sri Lanka
Colombo (AsiaNews) - In the north of Sri Lanka, behind the theater of fighting between the army and the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Caritas Anuradhapura has been working for ten years. At the beginning of this month, it celebrated the anniversary of its foundation, and tomorrow will celebrate the anniversary with a ceremony in the area surrounding the Buddhi Mandapaya Centre, in Pollonnaruwa. "Dignitaries of all religions are expected to attend," Fr. Paaris Jayamaha, director of Caritas Anuradhapura, tells AsiaNews. Bishop Andrai of Anuradhapura and Fr. Damian Fermando, national director of Caritas Sri Lanka, will be the main hosts of the celebration.
"Ten years ago," says Fr. Jayamaha, "there was no such centre for the diocese and it was Rt. Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, bishop of Anuradhapura at the time, who took initiative to begin a centre for the diocese." Its first director was Fr. Benedict Perera, who on September 1, 1998, opened the Caritas center, calling it "Sethsaviya."
Erected in the island's former capital city, the center is the work of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and from the first years of its activity has become a point of reference for the population of the region, the Rajarata, which includes the districts of Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa. More than 6,000 families have been helped by "Sethsaviya": the majority of them are Buddhists, plus Catholics and Muslims; there are few Tamils.
Together with the rest of the population, the center has confronted the difficulties that have characterized the region over the past decade: the war in the northern part of the island, which has still not come to an end, the food crisis and poverty systematically afflicting an area still bound to a poorly developed agricultural system.
The Oblates of Sethsaviya are publicizing their activity, beginning with their programs to educate families in shared, responsible economic activity. The "national animation program," says Paaris Jayamaha, "is actively implemented in 13 parishes of the diocese. Up to now 120 small animation groups have been formed in the districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. There are 1,210 members in these groups and the beneficiaries are about 6,000 families. And 200 scholarships. Sethsaviya has been successful in motivating its members towards savings and now a sum of 22 million Sri Lanka rupees (editor's note: a little more than 150,000 euros) is in circulation among members. So, through this scheme, members of these animation groups have been able to increase their income."
The war that has characterized the life of the population in the north for more than thirty years is another issue at the center of Sethsaviya's activities, which has "begun a real and proper peace program for the diocese." The most recent serious attack connected to the clash between government forces and Tamil groups took place at the beginning of October, and killed 27 people. The work of Caritas is carried out in the areas bordering the region, in villages like Kebithigollewa and Padaviya, which are often theaters of clashes and attacks. "Thanks to this program," says Fr. Jayamaha, "we have begun to build relationships of respect between Buddhists and Catholics in the diocese."
Among its many initiatives, over the past two years the Caritas center has also developed a housing program, helping 100 families to build their own homes. "We are not in a position to give houses to everybody," says the director, "but Sethsaviya took steps to minimize this number."
In short, at the anniversary of its foundation, the center created by the Oblates has been able to meet the needs of the population in many different ways, from help with schooling to support of small farming activities conducted by family groups. In ten years, Sethsaviya has become a respected and sought-after presence for those who live in the region of Rajarata.
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07/02/2009
