News and events

CHRD continues working with the community of Kaddumurivu village

2020-08-13

The Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) began its work with the people of Kaddumurivu village in the Vakarai DS Division in the Batticaloa district early this year through awareness raising programs and follow up programs as well as holding legal clinics to document their grievances.
The village Kaddumurivu has 188 families and their livelihood depends on honey hunting in the forests. However, the community is living way below the poverty line and therefore the folks involved in doing odd jobs for their survival.
The issues these communities are facing is numerous. From unemployment, unavailability of documentation (such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, National Identity Card) illiteracy, malnutrition, illicit liquor, teenage pregnancies, unavailability of public transport due to lack of proper roadways, unavailability of hospital and post-office to villagers facing wild elephant attacks etc. This back trodden village has seen suffering like no other.
CHRD was able to work with the community by building its rapport with the Grama Niladhari and District Secretary and the Registrar. In fact, the legal clinic which was held las had almost the entire village present. CHRD was able to secure small victories based on their request to obtain marriage certificates and providing reading materials for the small library in the government school which is in poor conditions.