Rebuilding Lives After Ditwah: Skills, Support and a New Beginning in Kandy

COLOMBO (News 1st); A new phase of the Gammedda Rebuild initiative, aimed at restoring the lives of communities affected by the Ditwah cyclone, was launched today in Kandy, bringing renewed hope to families still recovering from the disaster.

The programme is focused on rebuilding livelihoods by enhancing the vocational skills and economic resilience of those impacted, helping them regain stability and dignity in their daily lives.

Partnering in this effort is Australia’s Minderoo Foundation, joining hands with Gammedda to strengthen support for affected communities.

In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, emergency relief operations were carried out over several days through the Sirasa and Shakthi relief missions, providing urgent assistance to those in need.

The next phase of this effort centred on helping families rebuild their lives, leading to the implementation of the Gammedda Care and Dare programme across several districts in the country.

Now, as the third step in the journey of recovery following the cyclone, the Gammedda Rebuild initiative is being carried forward with a renewed focus on sustainability and long-term empowerment.

The programme aims to uplift individuals engaged in self-employment who were severely affected, by improving their professional skills and enabling them to rebuild their livelihoods.

As part of this initiative, another training session was conducted today at the Kandy Technical College premises under the patronage of Director of the Department of Technical Education and Training, Wathsala Maramage.

The event was attended by Director of the Kandy Technical College K.D.S.K. Kahatapitiya, Director of the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority Priyantha Fernando, Gammedda Assistant Manager Gihan Udyoga and members of the Gammedda team.

Throughout the day, specialised training programmes were conducted for participants engaged in fields such as masonry, carpentry, electrical work, metal fabrication, plumbing and garment design.

The initiative is being jointly implemented by Gammedda in collaboration with the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority, the Department of Technical Education and Training and the Kandy District Secretariat.
Participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity, highlighting the importance of such initiatives during difficult times.

“This programme is very valuable to us. It gives us great strength,” one participant said.

“We are truly happy to receive an opportunity like this,” another added, reflecting the sense of renewed confidence among those taking part.

Certificates and essential tools required for their respective trades are scheduled to be distributed to the participants tomorrow, marking yet another step forward in helping these communities rebuild not just their livelihoods, but their lives.