Kurugammana Causeway - "a model project worthy of emulation"

The Kuragammana Causeway - a community participatory project implemented by World Vision through its Bibile programme was commended as a project worthy of emulation at the recent opening of the new bridge.

“The present government has been doing so much infrastructure development during these years and we have undertaken many in Bibile as well. But it should be noted that this initiative of World Vision is an extraordinary effort. I will definitely suggest to the Chief Minister that our development approach should align with this,” said Gayan Kapilasooriya - Coordinating Secretary to the Chief Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa.

“It is amazing how people are being awakened and this is much more sustainable as people will stand for what they have built. I think if we can carry out such initiatives with World Vision we can build two bridges with the amount we spend on one,” he added.

The lack of a bridge or causeway hampered the daily activities of the people especially during the rainy season, which prevailed for upto five months a year. The river running across the village overflowed, separating the village from the road and isolating the Kurugammana community. School children and villagers crossed the river on a tight rope-wire attached to trees across the river, risking their lives.

World Vision organized the community in a collaboration that made it possible to complete the building of the causeway within a short period of four months. World Vision contributed technical knowledge, hardware, and skilled labor charges for the construction while the community contributed sand and unskilled labor throughout the process. World Vision invested Rs. 3 million and the community contribution was approximately Rs. 2 million towards the project.

Commenting on the achievement, WVL National Director Suresh Bartlett said, “The Bibile team has done a tremendous job here by fulfilling an elementary need. I hope it will enhance the quality of life and help protect the children and enable them to attend school and their parents to continue their livelihood without interruption.”