NAFSO’s Praja Abhilasha programme has picked the village of Weligahakandiya and its nearby channel in the District of Batticaloa for rehabilitation. Once completed, the work will allow former residents to come back, rebuild their homes, farm the land again and restart a normal life after years spent in refugee camps.

About 700 Tamil families fled the village in 2007 because of the war, finding shelter in Mailanbawali. On 29 June 2009, after the army took the northeastern region bringing the war to an end, 32 families made the trek home where they found their homes damaged and their village invaded by the jungle. Since their homes were uninhabitable, they cleaned up a section of the village and settled inside the local school. However, much more is needed and the nearest town, Maha Oya, is 18 kilometres away.

Programme coordinator Francis Raajan spoke to the bishop, describing the initiative during a meeting at the Bishop’s Residence in Batticaloa. He told the prelate, “The only thing villagers need is support to resettle and restart their normal life. They are not asking for any relief assistance, only some initial help to clean the canal and the village.”

“It is a big job however,” Raajan said. “We need a lot of people and financial assistance because we have to use heavy equipment to clean up a 7.5 kilometre section of the canal that was destroyed. A bulldozer and engineering techniques will be needed.”

NAFSO’s programme coordinator told AsiaNews that the clean up of the village should start on 14 June, followed by the canal.

 “I really appreciate the essential support you are providing these poor people,” Mgr Ponnaiah said in his response.

Mr Arumainayaham, Government Agent in Batticaloa, warned that the initiative could not expect government help because there was no money. Nevertheless, the authorities could provide clearing material to the volunteers involved in the village’s rehabilitation.

Still, the task is daunting because the rubble is heavy and the place is crawling with snakes.

The 32 families who moved back to Weligahakandiya want to the work to start as soon as possible, because, as M. Maheswari and other women from the village told AsiaNews, “We live here with so many difficulties, no proper food, no jobs”.

“In the beginning, the government gave us some rice, dhal, anchor milk powder, coconut oil, etc, but now we are getting nothing.”

The government has extended assistance to refugees returning home but only for six months.