Community-Based Organizations

Introduction

The primary base in connection with the community to launch development tasks under Samurdhi Development Department is the Community Based Organization. A Samurdhi Community Based Organization is a village level organization that involves the community in the operational process proposed by the Samurdhi Act. Based on this unit, the entire organizational structure has been formed as Samurdhi Regional Organizations, Samurdhi District Committees and Samurdhi National Federation.

All development works to be done by the Department of Samurdhi Development will be carried out with the full participation of the Community Based Organizations  of the  community which is the lowest organizational unit involved in the community as per the Samurdhi Act. Establishment of Community Based Organizations and Regional Committees and District Committees are made   and maintained simultaneously with the establishment of community-based organizations. A number of 29,814 community-based organizations have been established.

A number of 335 Samurdhi Regional Organizations have been established with the participation of the Presidents of Community Based Organizations for the task of monitoring, checking and evaluating the tasks of Samurdhi Community Based Organizations at the Regional Level.

Samurdhi District Committees are established representing the Chairman and Secretary of all Samurdhi Regional Organizations operating within a District. These district committees should be convened every three months and relevant decisions should be taken and implemented.

Samurdhi National Federation is established consisting of representatives of all Samurdhi Community Based Organizations. The Minister - in - charge should chair over every meeting of the Samurdhi National Federation.

The objective of the Samurdhi National Federation is to review the proposals and opinions required to formulate a National Policy for coordinating Samurdhi Development Programmes at the National Level and to provide leadership for the implementation of Samurdhi Development Programmes.

Setting up all these organizations and updating, maintaining and managing, as well as overseeing all the activities of those organizations will be  done by the Community Based Organizations Division.

Activities Carrying Out by the Community Based Division

1. Establishment of Samurdhi Community Based Organizations and Regional Organizations.
2. Establishment of Samurdhi Community-Based Organizations and Regional Organizations
3. Registration of Samurdhi Community Based Organizations and Regional Organizations.
4. Renewal of registration of Samurdhi Community Based Organizations and Regional Organizations.
5. Conducting the Samurdhi National Conference annually.
6. Maintenance and regulatory activities of the National Social Development Fund
7. Conducting awareness programmes for community leaders.
8. Appreciation of community leaders who are pioneers in strengthening community-based organizations voluntarily.
9. Setting of accounting activities of Community Based Organizations and local organizations methodically. 
10. Establishment of Economic Organizations.
11. Introducing of the various measures required to increase the funds of the     organization
12. Implementation of interventional projects as a solution to the current economic crisis.

1. Implementation of special projects to empower families.
2. Identifying the nutritional needs of preschool children and implementing programmes for that purpose.
3. Identifying and addressing the needs of school-going children.
4. Identifying and evaluating entrepreneurs for family empowerment.
5. Implementing programmes in conjunction with national commemoration days.
6. Implementing of the Samurdhi Arunalu Relief Loan Programme as a solution to the microfinance problem.
7. Providing sports development assistance to children who show sports skills  of Samurdhi beneficiary families at National and International Level through "Tharunyata Soduru Amathumak"

Conducting Awareness Workshops for Community Leaders and Officers

Making aware the entire community by educating community leaders to carry out the functions referred to in Section 06 (d) and (j) in accordance with the powers referred to in Section 05 (l) in order to achieve the objectives referred to in Section 04 (g) and (h) of the Samurdhi Act No. 01 of 2013.

Two district-level training of trainers workshops were conducted through Samurdhi Training Centers from August to October 2024, covering the entire island with the aim of achieving the desired goals positively by educating community leaders and Samurdhi officers about the programmes implemented by the Community Based Organizations Division and the Arunalu Sahana Loan Programme in the year 2024 .

It was possible to train all community leaders and officials at the rural level by Training of   Trainers at the district level and educate local level officials and   community leaders, and ensure that the entire island is covered by that team.

Arrangements were made to make aware about the following topics.

1. Make aware of the Samurdhi  Act, Regulations and powers of local organizations.
2. Leadership, responsibilities and decision making of a community leader.
3. Preparation of a simple project report and take decisions based on the report presented.
4. Responsibilities and roles of a community leader in community based, regional organizations.
5. Special income generation programme implemented to bring economic benefits to national production.
6. National Sports Programme aimed at improving the sports skills of community-based organization members, children and youth.
7. Conducting a two-day workshop on accounting, discussing the shortcomings of the forms currently used in the Arunalu Loan Programme, which was introduced as a solution to the microfinance problem, and introducing new forms.
8. Making awareness about the need for community leaders to act as auditors.

Under this, it was possible to held 2 workshops   with the participation of 86 officers covering the entire island and to held 60 district level workshops   with the participation of 2490 officers and community leaders, for which Rs. 2.83 million was spent from the National Social Development Fund.

Conducting District Committee Meetings.

Supervision,monitoring and evaluating of the programmes of Samurdhi Community Based Organizations and Regional Organizations. Submission of proposals related to the implementation of development programmes in the District, coordinating the Programmes.

Venu                           -     District Secretariat

Participation                 - Chairmen, Secretaries of Regional Organizations, Senior                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Managers of Community Based Banking Societies, Departmental        Officer in charge of the District, three persons engaged in development activities in the District

Meetings are held every three months and there are 04 meetings held in a year.

Consideration of suggestions and opinions for the effective implementation of Samurdhi Development Programmes in the District and submitting them to the Department. Coordination with government, non-government and private institutions at the district level is carried out by district committees.

A sum of Rs. 1.5 million was spent in the first 2 quarters of this year on Treasury allocations for 50 meetings and Rs. 1.38 million from the National Social Development Fund for 46 meetings in the 3rd and 4th quarters.