2025/26 : In Sri Lanka, Building Homes for Families Living Below the Poverty Threshold
In the village of Kappalthurai, Sri Lanka (as in many other villages), government intervention is significantly insufficient. During the civil war, residents were frequently displaced and unable to settle in a permanent location to develop stable economic activities, which further worsened their financial situation.
The five beneficiary families of this project currently live in substandard, severely degraded, and cramped housing. Their homes are made of salvaged materials that offer little resistance to bad weather, are highly flammable, unsanitary, and often hazardous to health, particularly for children.
These families lack sanitation systems that meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards. When work is available, the women perform domestic tasks for a daily wage of 300 rupees (equivalent to € 1.50), while the husbands work as day laborers for 10 to 15 days a month in nearby livestock farms or as brickmakers in construction, earning a daily wage that does not exceed 700 rupees (€ 3.50).
Particular attention was given to young couples to help them get a sustainable start in life. A balance was also maintained in terms of community (3 Tamil families and 2 Sinhalese families) and religious background (2 Buddhist families with 3 children, 1 Muslim family with 2 children, and 2 Hindu families with 3 children) in a country where intercultural and interreligious relations often remain highly strained.
La Fondation La Petite Etoile is a partner in this project, which aims to:
- construct 5 permanent houses (40 m² each), consisting of a living area, a kitchen, and two bedrooms.
- add a sanitation block to each home to ensure dignified living conditions and basic hygiene, in compliance with WHO recommendations.
Adults from the beneficiary families participate in the construction work as unskilled labor.
Location : Village of Kappalthurai, Trincomalee District, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.
Total Budget : € 24,000 (benefitting 8 children).
Co-participants : Fondation La Petite Etoile, Masalina Foundation, ADES France Association, Une Goutte d'Eau Endowment Fund, C.I.E.LO (internal funds), and the Sri Lankan association RECDO.
Funding provided by Fondation La Petite Etoile : € 6,000.
In the village of Kappalthurai, Sri Lanka (as in many other villages), government intervention is significantly insufficient. During the civil war, residents were frequently displaced and unable to settle in a permanent location to develop stable economic activities, which further worsened their financial situation.
The five beneficiary families of this project currently live in substandard, severely degraded, and cramped housing. Their homes are made of salvaged materials that offer little resistance to bad weather, are highly flammable, unsanitary, and often hazardous to health, particularly for children.
These families lack sanitation systems that meet World Health Organization (WHO) standards. When work is available, the women perform domestic tasks for a daily wage of 300 rupees (equivalent to € 1.50), while the husbands work as day laborers for 10 to 15 days a month in nearby livestock farms or as brickmakers in construction, earning a daily wage that does not exceed 700 rupees (€ 3.50).
Particular attention was given to young couples to help them get a sustainable start in life. A balance was also maintained in terms of community (3 Tamil families and 2 Sinhalese families) and religious background (2 Buddhist families with 3 children, 1 Muslim family with 2 children, and 2 Hindu families with 3 children) in a country where intercultural and interreligious relations often remain highly strained.
La Fondation La Petite Etoile is a partner in this project, which aims to:
- construct 5 permanent houses (40 m² each), consisting of a living area, a kitchen, and two bedrooms.
- add a sanitation block to each home to ensure dignified living conditions and basic hygiene, in compliance with WHO recommendations.
Adults from the beneficiary families participate in the construction work as unskilled labor.
Location : Village of Kappalthurai, Trincomalee District, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.
Total Budget : € 24,000 (benefitting 8 children).
Co-participants : Fondation La Petite Etoile, Masalina Foundation, ADES France Association, Une Goutte d'Eau Endowment Fund, C.I.E.LO (internal funds), and the Sri Lankan association RECDO.
Funding provided by Fondation La Petite Etoile : € 6,000.