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Kandawalai Area Program

Sponsor a child

Program Type

Community Development

Planned Life Cycle

2022 - 2032

Location

Sri Lanka

Areas of Focus

Child Protection and Participation

Program Timeline

Status: Active

Progress

357children and youth participated in groups and clubs, gathering with peers to develop new skills and positive values

Progress

231people were actively involved in savings groups, providing them with financial literacy training and access to small loans

Progress

180people participated in activities aimed at supporting child protection and ending violence against children

A white jeep driving through a muddy path, featuring a rainbow and trees in the background.

Program Details

Context

Kandawalai is an agricultural region along Sri Lanka's northern coast. Its varied geography includes coastal and inland areas of varying elevation. The population of 26,000 was initially displaced by civil war and resettled between 2009-2011. A majority of residents are Tamils practicing Hinduism. A Christian minority makes up about 12 per cent of the population.

The economy is dominated by agriculture that produces mainly rice and ground nuts along with some fishing. Small-scale industry includes cloth weaving, carpentry and seafood processing among other activities. However, productivity and employment are limited by a number of factors including severe weather conditions (including drought), lack of market access and the war-related destruction of infrastructure such as irrigation systems. As a result unemployment is high, especially among youth.

Kandawalai's challenges are numerous. Healthcare services have been neglected. Educational outcomes are poor. Malnutrition among children is widespread and they are mistreated in various other ways. Residents—particularly families who have lost a primary wage earner due to war—report a sense of lost dignity and confidence because of dependence on outside assistance.

However, there is a strong culture of entrepreneurship in Kandawalai. The fertile land has potential for expanded agricultural activity such as dairy and poultry production. Development in these areas and others can rebuild a sense of self empowerment while providing for improved livelihoods.

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Challenges
Kandawalai's inter-related challenges include health and nutrition, livelihoods, and child protection. The lack of livelihood opportunities creates food insecurity, which in turn generates poorer health and nutrition outcomes. Lack of gainful employment further leads to alcohol and drug abuse, including abuse of children in the home.

Health and Nutrition
Rates of infant mortality, wasting and underweight are all double the national average. Anemia affects 60 per cent of pregnant mothers. Acute malnutrition, especially in children under 5, became apparent following resettlement after the war. Malnutrition has cascading effects because it harms performance in school, which then lowers employment prospects. Disease outbreaks are common, including dengue, diarrhea and acute respiratory infections. Wells exist in all villages, but they are in poor condition and the water is unsafe. Health services are limited (the lone general hospital is 40 kilometres away) and most facilities lack basic medical equipment.

Livelihood
Kandawalai's economic challenges are significant. Severe drought, flooding and heavy winds disrupt livelihoods and impact food security. The civil war left just 40 of 70 irrigation tanks in working order, and roads are in poor repair, which has caused many farmers to abandon farming altogether. Those who remain face additional barriers such as lack of access to loans, storage facilities for crops and water for cultivation. As a result, productivity has declined, further impacting food security. Due to limited price information and insufficient technical knowledge farmers also report being unable to get fair prices for their produce. Meanwhile, youth turn to ad-hoc manual labour because there is no employment after completing formal schooling and there are no vocational schools where they can learn new skills.

Child Protection
There is a lack of awareness of child well-being. A number of environmental factors contribute to this attitude. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased exploitation and physical abuse of children at home and in the community due to heightened stress, reduced resources and lack of support services. Child participation in illegal business and activity has also increased. Hundreds of children have lost one or both parents to war or abandonment, which can create a poor environment in the home. Sexual abuse is a problem that most commonly occurs because parents leave their children in the care of strangers when they are away or at work. Teenage pregnancy is on the rise due to such abuse but also due to lack of knowledge of family planning. Alcohol and substance abuse is present among children as young as 14. Lack of employment among adults has also driven children into child labour to help support their families.


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Plans
Health and Nutrition
To improve health and nutrition outcomes, World Vision will:
  • Support technical programs and micro projects to increase the number of children aged 0-5 who are classified as well-nourished.
  • Work with partners and mother support groups to conduct nutrition interventions.
  • Support awareness of health and nutrition practices at village-level clinics.
Livelihood
To help the community move toward economic self-empowerment, World Vision will:
  • Align our program work with government plans for services and subsidies so that families receive assistance in a timely manner.
  • Connect producer groups with proper market linkages to increase their productivity.
  • Facilitate and provide technical support for livestock-related development activities, improved agricultural techniques and technical training.
  • Support youth development activities for vocational training.
Child Protection
To keep children safe and protected, World Vision will:
  • Target three groups of children: those classified as living in extreme poverty; the orphaned, abandoned and neglected; and households headed by children.
  • Strengthen the capacity of children, families and local communities to identify risks, and to prevent and respond to child protection concerns.
  • Use technical programs to identify and work with other partners to address issues of sexual abuse, child labour and child neglect.
  • Build resilience and skill development among children and adolescents using a World Vision project model.
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An image of children sitting on the ground in a classroom, writing in workbooks.

Results

Unless otherwise stated, data presented on this page reflects the most up-to-date results of World Vision Canada programs reported between October 2023 and September 2024, and any previous fiscal years available. Previously reported data may not match the current presentation as we continuously receive and refine data from our programs. If you have any questions, kindly reach out to us.