Cluster project – ‘Habitat for Humanity’

We, Cluster 7 of Rotaract District 3220 ventured to make a “Habitat for Humanity” to serve the goal of paving the way for a sustainable future. Upholding the United Nations’ SDGs, we laid down 3 stepping stones firstly ensuring clean water and health for school children, secondly incentivizing effective waste management among the public and thirdly facilitating and promoting responsible consumption and production among the local producers through the distribution of profit oriented plants.

People in North Central province, suffered from kidney diseases, failures and even untimely deaths having consumed unsafe, unpurified water was benefited by the phase 1 of Habitat for Humanity on 18th January 2018. We, Cluster 7 team went to Pusiyakkulama Maha Vidayalaya in Anuradhapura to hand over the water filter and the other necessary items to the principle, staff and students in a ceremonial event.

On 20th of January 2018, the second phase of Habitat for Humanity was launched at Colombo Racecourse providing the general public with an incentivize efficient waste management system and educating them on proper waste segregation. The waste collection day was organized in collaboration with Abans Environmental Services, providing an opportunity to general public to handover various types of waste to the collection point at Racecourse. At this program, the general public was met with concept of incentivizing their waste, so that they could earn a revenue in return rather than just dumping the garbage.

The final phase of project Habitat for Humanity was aimed at improving the livelihood of farmers in North Central Province by linking them to the Fruit Exporters Database of National Fruit Research and Development Institute, thereby paving way to a sustainable income through the export of TJC Mango crop. 18 farmers from Anuradhapura district were selected and a special informative session on TJC Mango cultivation was held in Mahailluppallama Agriculture Center on 18th of January 2018. A mango plant distribution program was also arranged in parallel to this phase. During the session, the farmers were given a basic knowledge on TJC cultivation, how to properly maintain the cultivation and eventually how they could contribute to country economy by exporting the TJC Mango crop. The farmers were also inducted to the official Fruit Exporters Database of National Fruit Research and Development Institute. After the session, upon a request made by farmers, the Department of Agriculture had arranged a field visit to Pelwehera CIC Agri farm, which is one of the largest Mango farms in the island. At the CIC farm, they have been demonstrated on the methodologies followed to properly maintain a TJC plantation and to eventually yield a high crop. Another separate training program had been organized by the Department of Agriculture for these 18 farmers. After a tender process, 2000 TJC plants have been approved by the Department of Agriculture to be distributed among these farmers. At present, the land preparation work is going on and a plant density of 80-100 plants per acre is estimated to be planted in each land. Approximately 20 acres of land will be populated through these 2000 TJC Mango plants. Eventually, these farmers will get the opportunity to contribute to country exports sector, while securing an economically viable and safe future for their families.

We Cluster 7, letting humanity habitat in our own habitat, put our efforts in a collective exertion to better the world, better the lives and better the attitudes of our own kind. Redefining the friendship in to human bonds, serving each other not for fame but for the genuine smiles of our own kind, we Cluster 7 are humbly proud of the fruits of seeds of our commitment.

By Rtr. Chamara Herath