Missions

Sri Lanka

Area of intervention

Sport Without Borders intervened to establish physical and sports activities as a tool for psychosocial support in post-emergency Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami. Soon afterwards, more structural needs in the sectors of education and youth services became clear, particularly in terms of training.

These issues reoriented our action towards technical support for the development of PSA’s in schools and youth centres of the area.


Aim

To sustainably integrate Physical and Sports Activities as a tool for well-being, for psychosocial support, and as a means of encouraging coeducation in the formal education system and in other public institutions.

Local context

The positive results posted by Sri Lanka in terms of development should not conceal the very difficult socio-economic realities that exist in regions in the north and the east – regions that have been victims of the more than 25 year old conflict between separatist Tamils and the Sinhalese government. The tidal wave that took place on December 26, 2004 ruined the local economy in all areas relying on fishing and tourism.

 

In September 2006, the resurgence of fighting displaced more than 200,000 people. These people are all the more marginialized in that they belong, for the most part, to minority Tamil and muslim communities. To date, 22% of the population lives below the poverty line according to official numbers that don’t take minority communities to the north and to the east into account.

 

According to the World Bank, this figure could reach 40% in rural zones within our area of intervention (North Eastern Province, Ampara district, Akkarraipattu and Pottuvil zones). Also, a high rate of unschooled children is observable in minority communities in the region.

Key figures

Capital : Colombo (commercial and historical capital) ; Sri Jayawardhanapura (administrative capital)

Surface area : 65 610  km² (Metropolitan France : 551 500 km²)

Population : 20 926 315 hab

Life Expectancy : 74,8 years

Literacy Rate : 90, 7%

GDP per capita : 4 000 $ per capita (32 600$ per capita in France)

Human Development Index : 0,755,  93rd out of 177 countries

 

Source: PNUD, Human Development Report 2006
The World Fact Book, 2007, CIA

Programmes implemented

Given the high degree of autonomy that the Sri Lankan team has demonstrated in implementing programmes, a complete transfer of responsibility for the project to the Sri Lankan NGO ‘Sport Access For All’ (SAFA) is anticipated in 2009. This new NGO was specifically created by our Sri Lankan pedagogical team for this purpose.

"Youth Centre" Programme

This programme consists of the establishment of sports / game sessions in youth centres in the Pottuvil area, and of the training of leaders in these centres such that they will eventually take charge of the structuring of activities, each within their respective clubs.

Two leaders per centre have been identified. Local staff members ensure the mentorship of these new leaders as they become progressively more autonomous in the running of sessions. The process of establishing young leaders through training in each Youth Centre is therefore in its operational phase.

 

On average, 543 children of four sponsored Youth Centres have beneffited from 6 monthly sessions of PSA’s since the beginning of our actions. Coeducation during activities is progressing : on average 40% of participants are girls. The exercises chosen allow for their continued integration.

"School" Programme

Very few schools in the Akkaraipattu school district are able to put Physical and Sports Activities in place, despite the fact that they are listed as a mandatory part of each programme. Similarly, education through sports is missing from the training of teachers although the physical and psychological development of children are among the priorities in Sri Lankan educational policy.
The goal of this programme is to instate as part of the educational process for teachers, the leading of Physical and Sports Activities as a complementary educational tool.

 

Therefore, we organize training / follow-up aimed at teachers in 49 schools. Each teacher benefits from a theoretical and practical training provided by SSF. Each week, teachres work in pair with an SSF educator to lead activities in their schools, and to work with the students (notably in swimming sessions that take place in portable pools provided by SSF).

In order to ensure sustainability for Physical and Sports Activities in our areas of intervention, we have incorporated a chapter of training into the services offered at a professional development / continuing education centre for teachers, the Addelachchenai Government Training College (GTC).

This chapter called « the teaching of PSA’s » includes both theoretical and practical coursework for 25 teachers enrolled at the centre, and wanting to pursue that option.
 
We have also renovated or built safe and adapted practice spaces in 22 schools ; many schools, as well as some of the rare sports infrastructures that did exist, were destroyed by the tsunami.

Actions since the opening of the mission

2005-2007

Intervention in the Pottuvil area and in the Akkaraipattu school district

  • Training for adults.
  • Training of 7 Sri Lankan educators who are major actors in the implementation of programmes and, therefore, the eventual guarantors of sustainable programming once SWB leaves.
  • Professional development of teachers and of executives within the Ministry of Sports
  • Access to varied and appropriate sports – educational games, team sports, traditional games and sports, sessions to overcome a fear of water – for some 8000 children (children and adolescents in Youth Centres in the Pottuvil area, and the students from 22 different schools).