In his third year working with JEN
This time, I would like to introduce David, our project officer. He is in his third year working with JEN in the Eastern region. David is a 51-year-old Christian Tamil, and has two kids - One in high school and the other in junior high. He has participated as project officer since JEN started its program in the Eastern region in September 2007. He has provided the people of psychological care and assistance to regain self-sustainability.
“When I was a student, my future dream was to become a social worker and support my neighbors. While I was young, I worked at YMCA. I became a company worker after that, but in 2005, when the conflicts were beginning to intensify, I came back to my old job to support the people again.
“The people of Batticaloa have been affected by the conflict for more than 20 years. It was impossible for them to lead a stable life, and various assistance activities to the people have led them to become reliant on others. I want to replace that reliance to a sense of independence. In order for people to feel independent, it is necessary to make an environment in which they can earn a living in their own villages, or nearby. Construction of agricultural wells, one of the activities carried out by JEN, is a good example of providing opportunities of income generation in the people’s own villages.
“The conflict ended in 2007, and the town of Batticaloa is starting to grow again. The countryside, however, has still yet to recover. I want to support the people even more so that the villages of Batticaloa will develop as well.”
(*1: The project for construction of agricultural wells, distribution of seeds and seedlings, and reinforcement of the communities are all carried out with support from the Japanese government, Chabo!, and our supporters.)