The Need

People from Sampoor in Trincomalee District were displaced in 2006 following the war and were languishing in four refugee camps near Sampoor. Nearly 1,250 families were displaced and around 900 families were living in the welfare centres. Resettlement of these families commenced in 2015 and 2016. However these families had no concrete floors and were made of the earth's surface, so when it rained the shelters were uninhabitable. As of March 2017, many families were still living in desperate conditions described as follows: 

• 244 families were registered as displaced as early as 2006; they were on the list of beneficiaries and have been provided temporary shelters

• 135 families were not officially registered as displaced because they became families through marriages while they were living in the camps; these families were not provided any shelters at all

• 167 families were refugees returning from India who have no access to shelters

In addition to the need for shelters, toilet facilities were also desperately needed. The Sampoor Families were provided with some minimal resettlement assistance by government agencies, however, the overall need was great:

• 300 semi-permanent shelters for displaced families

• 100 toilets to provide hygienic living conditions

• 50 fishing boats and 50 fishing nets for livelihood purposes to be shared among all 250 fishing families (12 fishing boats and nets have been received so far)

• water pumps to support farming activities for the farming families

The Solution

In 2017, generous donors from IMHO Canada supported the completion of 40 shelters for Sampoor families. We continued to support Sampoor Resettlement efforts to ensure all remaining 72 families were provided with shelters and toilets, at a cost of $1,000 per shelter and approximately $500 per toilet.

Resources

Generous donations from IMHO Canada.

The Impact

In 2017, generous donors from IMHO Canada supported the completion of 40 shelters for Sampoor families. We continued to support Sampoor Resettlement efforts to ensure all remaining 72 families were provided with shelters and toilets. Our support provided immediate impact as we worked towards providing shelter and toilets. We were able to provide shelters and homes and removed families from their not secure and unsafe living environments. 

Through the resettlement program, our goal was to ensure that all of these families were provided with shelters and toilets so that they could live in a safer environment. With having a shelter and a toilet, the families would have one less thing to worry about and would then have a better chance at supporting themselves and their families. This worked towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal #1- No poverty. This goal is about ending poverty in all its forms everywhere.