100 Families Receive Semi-permanent Homes

We are very happy to let you know about the completion of 100 semi-permanent housing units for the families who lost their homes due to war and have been living in tents for over two months. The recipients were very happy to move out of their tents and come to live in a building. We are also delighted that our efforts and hard work brought relief to100 families.

Coordinating and completing the homes in an environment where there are travel restrictions had numerous challenges and was not easy. Yet in just six weeks we were able to finish the project. On the 25th of July at 9am, 100 families moved into our buildings. The homes were built with TGS funds. The Funds for this expensive project were provided by Mr. Anura Perera, who is one of the main sponsors and supporters of the Triple Gem Society.

Understanding the urgent need for housing and in order to speed up the building process, we hired two companies. Dura Construction Company from Colombo and Buddhika Construction Company from Matale, each build 50 units. I personally met the CEOs of both companies before signing the contracts and discussed the details.

Considering the dry and hot conditions in the area, we decided to use a special material for the walls that keeps the rooms cool in hot weather. Although it cost us 20% more than the airn sheets buildings that some other companies had built, we are happy to provide a bit more comfort for those who have lost everything. Out of one hundred units, 50 had electrical wiring and a small kitchen area in the back of the building. It took just five weeks for the contactors to finish the houses and hand them over to us. I am sure you will get a better feel of what we have done when you see the photo tour.

The government provided us land in zone four of the Manick farm IDP camp. Over two thousand families live in tents in this particular zone. With the advice of the camp managers, the families, school teachers and government servants, families were carefully chosen to receive the homes. Although nobody is sure yet when they might be returned to their original homes we are glad that our efforts have brought these families a decent place to live until they return home.

We offer our gratitude to everybody who supported this project, specifically our sponsor, who is often only a phone call away when we need help. We also thank the site managers of both companies. Both managers got sick, one was even hospitalized, and several construction workers got sick due to difficult conditions in the area. I am very thankful to military officers who were always available to help us, and those good-natured ones who are the usual group of people who are part of our team. Thank you everybody. I share the joy of the recipients of the homes and myself with all of you.