World Vision Lanka signs MOU with government agencies to provide water to Sarasalai North

From Left: Director of Planning Selvarani Nicholas Pillai, National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) Jaffna Regional Manager Eng. E. Jegatheesan,  District Secretariat Jaffna District Secretary N. Vethanayahan, World Vision Lanka National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah and WVL Director-Corporate Partnerships, Innovations and Public Engagement Clarence Sutharsan, CS-WASH Project Manager Jeyald Antony Rasaratnam

From Left: National Water Supply & Drainage Board Jaffna Regional Manager Eng. E. Jegatheesan, CS-WASH Project Manager Jeyald Antony Rasaratnam, District Secretariat Jaffna District Secretary N. Vethanayahan, World Vision Lanka National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah and  WVL Director-Corporate Partnerships, Innovations and Public Engagement Clarence Sutharsan .

The signing of a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a pipe-borne water provision project took place in Jaffna recently. The MoU was signed by the District Secretariat of Jaffna, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) Jaffna and World Vision Lanka (WVL).

The project will provide household level pipe-borne water to Sarasalai North- Grama Niladhari (GN) division in Chavakachcheri, an area which has serious water related issues. The project expects to provide 88 households, (nearly 350 individuals, including 110 children) with water 

connections.  

This endeavour is an extension of the already existing initiative called the Civil Society-Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project, (CS –WASH) which World Vision Lanka has been implementing since July 2014 in the Jaffna district. The project which targets those who are facing difficulties to access these basic needs is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia. The project so far has given access to safe drinking water, sanitation and promoted hygiene practices among rural people in two DS Divisions, namely Chavakachcheri and Chankanai. The project has focused on the neediest and those with disabilities as well.

The signatories for this MoU were Jaffna District Secretariat District Secretary N. Vethanayahan, National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) Jaffna Regional Manager Eng. E. Jegatheesan and World Vision Lanka (WVL) National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah. The event was also attended by Jaffna District Secretariat Director of Planning Selvarani Nicholas Pillai, WVL Director Corporate Partnerships, Innovations and Public Engagement Clarence Sutharsan and members of WVL management. 

N. Vethanayahan commenting on this program said: “World Vision is good partner for us for development, rehabilitation and emergency response intervention. We are very happy about this partnership with World Vision and NWSDB – Jaffna.” He further stated that this is good initiative in recent times to work with NGOs and the Water Board to provide water access to unreachable areas.

Speaking on this endeavour, World Vision Lanka’s National Director Dr. Dhanan Senathirajah said: “I am glad to note that this initiative is focused on an area which we term ‘most vulnerable’ in water and sanitation needs.  Sarasalai North GN, is an area that has many water quality issues including salinity and contamination. Most of the people use common unprotected wells. Thus, we are happy to be in a project that will bring pipe-borne water to their homes.”

The total funding for this initiative is over Rs. 13 million, of which 75% will be from the Government agencies (Jaffna District Secretariat and NWSDB – Jaffna) and remainder from DFAT funding through World Vision Lanka. This signifies a joint implementation partnership between the District Secretariat of Jaffna, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) – Jaffna and World Vision Lanka. World Vision Lanka will play a facilitation and coordination role and work with the government agencies and WASH CBO to ensure fair beneficiary selection. It will also work directly with the Water Board on the execution of excavation and pipe laying work and construction of champers. 

About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. The organisation serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender and has been in Sri Lanka since 1977. Currently, through 29 Area Programs, they serve in 20 districts across the country. In 2017 World Vision impacted nearly 250,000 children and their families.