Australian High Commission
Sri Lanka
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Australian High Commission
Colombo
MEDIA RELEASE
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04 November 2008
Australia funds rat fever education project in Galle
The Australian High Commission has extended its support for a project aimed at creating awareness and education on Leptosporsis more commonly known as rat fever in the Galle district.
The project will be carried out by the Saviya Development Foundation and will target children of 20 schools, farmers and community based organisations in the district. Other components of the project include the training of two volunteers from each village, establishing a task of force of 1000 people, publication and distribution of 10,000 copies of a handbook on transmission, prevention and control of Leptosporsis, clean up of lime pits, husk pits and stagnant water collections and the mobilisation of 10 farmer clubs to educate the community.
The Acting High Commissioner Ms Sophia McIntyre while presenting the funds said ‘We are delighted to be able to support a project on Leptosporsis awareness. With over 1000 cases reported in 2008 year alone, Leptosporsis is causing much hardship to Sri Lankan farmers and villagers. It is my sincere hope that the project will help in some measure to educate the people of the Galle district in prevention of the disease’
The project was funded under the High Commission’s Direct Aid Program, which is aimed primarily at supporting small-scale development activities that fully involve beneficiaries in the identification, design and management of the activities.
In this round of funding the High Commission provided funds worth approximately Rs 4 million for five projects, including the Saviya Development Foundation. Other projects receiving Direct Aid Program funding are Janasetha Sahana Foundation for the construction of 45 toilets in Rathnapura, Centre for Handicapped Kandy in the provision of 52 limbs to the differently abled, Women’s Development Society in Anuradhapura for construction of six cultivation wells and True Vision to commence livelihood activities for 42 women in the Ampara district.