Sri Lanka

VSO Sri Lanka volunteers are working in the areas of disability, mental health and participation and governance.

Mental health

Between 5-10 per cent of people in Sri Lanka are known to suffer from mental health problems. Twenty years of civil war and the devastation caused by the Tsunami of December 2004, which is estimated to have affected some 400,000 people, have had a significant impact on the mental health of the population, especially in the north and east of the country where the conflict has been most intense. The post-traumatic stress caused by both the ongoing conflict and the tsunami has an impact on people’s ability to earn a living and participate fully in their communities. Just 11 per cent of people with a mental health illness have received vocational training, which would lead to employment and only seven per cent have a job.

In our mental health programme, VSO volunteers are working within government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to strengthen the delivery of community-based mental health services. This includes working on training curricula for new mental health staff, strengthening the management of government departments and supporting the expansion of successful rehabilitative projects, such as a gardening project run by VSO partner Basic Needs.

Disability

VSO volunteers working in disability support similar development of community-based care and rehabilitation services for disabled people in Sri Lanka. In addition, VSO volunteers are working with agencies that are advocating for the rights of disabled people. This can involve building the management structure of these agencies or helping them to strengthen their networks and advocacy approaches.

Participation and governance

In the area of participation and governance, VSO is working to support the redevelopment and reconstruction that is ensuring communities affected by the civil war and tsunami are able to access basic public services and internationally donated money that will enable them to rebuild their lives. Many local NGOs and community-based organisations in Sri Lanka lack skills in areas such as advocacy and communications, which means they are unable to effectively challenge the government to offer better services to poor people.

Volunteers with expertise in these areas – plus those with business, project management and strategic planning skills – are working with these agencies to ensure they are in a stronger position to advocate for the rights of the communities they represent. VSO, as a neutral organisation, has also been able to play a key role in peace building and strengthening cross-community networks between agencies.