Emergence of RAHAMA
RAHAMA the Recovery and Humanitarian Action Management Agency is working with the war affected and low income earners in the Northern and the North Central Provinces of Sri Lanka. The agency was created by the founder with a group of professionals who had years of experience in development work, and most of them were very familiar with the postwar reconstruction work as well in the region. The purpose of creating this organisation is to continue the work started by the Norwegian agency FORUT.
Developing a local organisation,with limited resources was not an easy task to achieve especially to live up to the far-reaching expectation of the community groups, who were dependent upon the relief most of the time. More over the government agencies who were monitoring the NGO sector, demanding more deliveries to the resettling population, as the immediate action.
RAHAMA with its main focus on the long-term development theme (Discovering livelihoods) targeted the women, youth and the children as the key target groups to empower them to reach durable solutions in the socio-economic targets to create surplus and assets building for the war affected population.
Livelihood income generation, upgrading school education for children including early child hood education, ensuring land rights with shelter, water sanitation, skill development and employment creation for the youths, building and strengthening revitalizing community organisations, reducing the alcohol influence etc are some key areas of our work which we have proved and confirmed.The initiatives have helped the communities build its normalcy, after their return. We have also helped to build industries related to milk, coir products, paddy storage , animal production, handicrafts, tailoring, iron work, and similar other production units after skill development training.
We were able to strengthen the organisation by the help of the government and nongovernment actors and with kind support of our donors FORUT, Norwegian embassy, schools in Norway, NORAD, HALO trust etc.
The organizational growth is an important part of the sustainability towards the new development goals both local and international such as SDG, for us to stand up and help the communities for their future and their children. We will achieve the goals, by building more dependable partnerships with all the stake holders of the area.