Future Projects

In future, prime target of Assist RR will be to improve the livelihood of resettled communities by rebuilding their traditional income producing activities including farming, fishing, and other vocational trades. This will enhance their basic standard of living and help them stand on their own feet. We will carry out this work by prioritising families who seek assistance based on their skills and preferences. This includes helping women headed families and vulnerable children. They are facing immense suffering and hardship financially, mentally and physically.

Assisting women headed families

The main concern the members of Assist RR have is that a large number of widows with children are facing personal trauma and marginalization. Among those affected by war, 51% are females. Out of these, children represent 35%. Further, 46000 of women have lost their husbands. Having lost the main family breadwinner, they are at a loss to replace their regular income and bring up their children, educate them and provide them with nutritional food and health facilities.

The poverty that these women are facing is diminishing their social and cultural values due to their participation in unacceptable activities.This is a major concern for all of us.

Much of the local economy has been damaged or destroyed. The main option for these women is to start their own businesses either alone or in conjunction with other women in the similar situation. This will also reduce their reliance on occasional handouts which are never sufficient.

Working with partners and agents in Sri Lanka, Assist RR intends identifying suitable farming, fishing and agricultural opportunity for them. We will provide grants and interest free loans. The aim is to create strong businesses that are provably successful. The need to repay the loan will motivate them to work hard and if they can pay back within two years, when the ‘business’ is successful, such repaid loans can be recycled to support other future businesses for other women.

Assisting Children

1. There are a number of children now suffering from mental health issues and various disabilities due to the recently concluded war.

2. Assist RR will provide necessary assistance to help them lead a normal life by creating suitable environment. This will be achieved by providing trauma counselling and access to specialist medical and health facilities.

3. Assist RR will also provide education materials and conduct evening classes for the school children who hail from poor families.

Fisheries and Agricultural Industries

There have been a number of families resettled in Mullaithivu area recently. Their main source of income was from fisheries and agricultural activities. Having lost everything they had, they are helpless and undergoing severe hardship without any assistance to restart their lives. They require initial investment for rebuilding their traditional main source of income. They desperately need equipment such as land masters for farming activities and fishing boats, nets and various other basic equipment.

“Are you unselfish? That is the question. If you are, you will be perfect without reading a single religious book, without going into a single church or temple.”