EUROPEAN UNION FUNDED HOUSING PROJECT FOR CONFLICT AFFECTED IDP’S

The European Union launched the European Union funded housing project for conflict affected IDP’s in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka in 2009. Practical Action served as training partner to implementer Arbeiter- Samariter-Bund (ASB) building the capacity of ASB staff in community mobilizing and technical skills and providing training in safe construction techniques to beneficiaries. Over the project duration, Practical Action’s Technical Officers conducted beneficiary training sessions for 1657 trainees (696 females, 961 males), inclusive of hundreds of masons who benefitted through learning new construction skills boosting their marketability in the future. The housing team’s expertise was recognized by UN-Habitat; requesting Practical Action to conduct 3 training workshops for 80 participants in Vavuniya and Killinochchi in November, 2012. The collaboration between ASB and Practical Action saw the construction of 2794 houses over three years. The training component of the project provided by Practical Action yielded positive results injecting new life into the local economy and providing over 11,000 beneficiaries with a home to call their own.