Empowering communities: Building a civic space through education

Using beneficiary driven approaches directly help identify the daily needs of communities. One prominent example is the Kebethikollawa Divisional Secretariat in Anuradhapura District where people both protect and then enjoy their civic space. Under the LAW (Legal Action Worldwide) project, NPC conducted a facilitation meeting which resulted in the construction of a road between the village to Kebethikollawa Model Primary School.

Something so simple with an incredibly large impact. In the past, there was a narrow footbath unrecognizable as a road being used by young school children to go to school.

Crossing here meant navigating through the middle of the chena cultivation land which is heavily affected during rainy season. Consequently, community police, religious leaders (including Buddhists, Christians/Catholics, Muslims), CBOs, Local Government Authority Members, Government officers, Former Chairman of Pradesiya saba, families and youths voluntarily took matters into their own hands.

With this high turnout and collaboration, they managed to construct a 500-meter road from the village to Kebethikollawa Model Primary School. Now, over 600 people including school children, teachers and villagers are benefitting from the road on a daily basis. Moreover, a number of school vans, three-wheelers and motor bikes are able to pass on the road. 

As a result, the community will always remember October 21 s ,2023, as the day of happy-faced children who continue to travel safely to and from school. It also serves as a reminder of the successful achievements of common goals in civic space when people work together to solve the community-based issues that last long beyond a single day.