Uva Shakthi Foundation

Date of establishement: 12-02-1996
Location/District: Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee, Puttalam, Badulla, Moneragala
Number of employees: 1-20
fuvashakthif@gmail.com,fuvashakthi@yahoo.com
Nadesan Suresh - Executive Director

Key Achievements

  • Invited to be part of Zonal Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanism by Sri Lankan Parliament, represented by Nadesan Suresh CEO of Yuva Shakthi Foundation
  • Coordinated the Submission of the Proposals for Constitutional Reform to the Constitutional Advisory and Drafting Committee on behalf of Uva Province
  • Presently functioning in close collaboration with the Social and Religious Organizations of both Badulla and Monaragala Districts giving main consideration over the realization of the Right to Information Act and the spirit of Transitional Justice
  • Regional Monitoring Unit of National Plan of Action for the Social Development of the Plantation Community 2016-2020
  • Formation of United Religions Corporation Circles Networking in 13 Districts
  • Gained experience in Community Development, in the fields of Research, Training, Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation.
  • Committed to fostering Civil Politics, cutting across ethnic and religious differences and deviating from political bias,
  • Workable empowerment of women through the identified segments of household wives, working women, and young females among our target social political entities. This has led to the promotion of a reasonable number of elected women councilors in Local Governance
  • Also, we are engaged in national-level policy planning reformation civil society mechanism. At an international level we have gained popularity for our services and are dignified as humanitarian activists.



Geographical Area Of Work

25 DS Divisions in Uva Province, 05 DS Divisions in Nuwara Eliya District, 4 DS in Matale District ,5 DS in Puttalam and 06 DS in Trincomalee Districts

Key Beneficiaries

Rural and Plantation worker Communities, Multi-ethnic township communities, Youths, Women Councilors ( LGA) Minority and underrepresented communities, persons with special needs, and small-scale business women.

Projects

  • Human Rights First Aid Center for Badulla District -Human Rights Center supports the people who need legal aid, protection, and guidance to get their rights when it is violated. The Human Rights First Aid Center was opened on the 04th February 2017 and is Located at USF Office the Trained Human Rights Defenders in the district will be at the Human Rights First Aid Center to meet the needs of the people at the office. The Human Rights Defenders have been trained to write down written complaints, and affidavits, and give advice and consultations to the clients.
  • IDEA – USAID MSI Project – Clean Politics and Participatory Local Governance through Reform Mechanisms and Strengthening Civil Societies - Uva Region -2019-2021
  • Film For Dialogue – Uva Wellassa Film Festival 2019 to 2021 and ongoing– Short Screening Films and Feature Films to Strengthen Reconciliation, Cultural Harmony, and Gender Diversity. Facilitated by Chrysalis and GIZ.
  • Vocational Training on Photography –Whereas Vocational Training could be an effective media in generating livelihood ventures and confidence building to strengthen plantation communities, rural villages, and settlement-wise multi-ethnic populations- Conducted regional and national level exhibitions on the theme “The Untold Stories” Joint project – USF, CPA, and GIZ – 2019 to 202. The trained 38 youths are presently effectively engaging in social media to promote conflict transformation and reconciliation
  • Inter-Religious Corporation Circle – Badulla District: Overcoming Religious Hatred Syndrome and building up inter-religious faith through interactive dialogues and program initiatives. 2017 onwards.
  • NED Supporting project: Dignified Status of Estate Tamils and Women with Civil Society Backing towards Citizens Participation in Governance through New Electoral Reforms, In Uva Region - As a follow up joint engagements were carried out with the involvement of Rural Sinhala and Muslim Women. These efforts resulted in the emergence of 65 women as potential contestants of whom 27 women of multi ethnicities are functioning as elected Councilors. Out of the 14 hail from Plantation Workers' Families
  • Human Rights First Aid Consultation Center – HRFAC: A joint ongoing project with the facilitation of NPC, Right to Life, and Uva Shakthi Foundation: A Center to support the people in need of guidance legal aid, HR protection, and services. As a result of training a compact team of 36 Human Rights Defenders are available to facilitate at ground-level to consulting on Human Rights and other reform mechanisms. "Enhance Community Empowerment for Meaningful Engagement in Uva Province” CDLG Capacity Development for Local Government. This program is being funded by the United Nations Development Programme UNDP 2021 to 2022.The project on effectively and efficiently facilitating the implementation of “Community Engagement and Local Development” in Badulla and Monaragala in Uva Province”. The project mainly aims to strengthen the selected 28 Local Authorities and 56 Community Centers to be a gender-sensitive, responsive, inclusive, and accountable manner to deliver better services to the citizens of the selected DS Divisions in Badulla and Monaragala Districts.
  • British Council and USF Joint project: SEDR – Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution -2022 (six Months Pilot Programme) Active Citizen Activities in Uva Province. The SEDR project aims to bring together a cohort of 25 youths (18-35) from local communities in the Uva province (Badulla and Monaragala). This cohort of Active Citizens will undergo an Active Citizens training program and will implement Social Action Projects focusing on Alternative Dispute Resolution. This cohort and the 5 Social Action Plans will influence communities and local stakeholders and will promote alternative dispute resolution methods, peacebuilding, and social cohesion using existing structures and forums
  • RTI Hub – Badulla District – A Joint Project by TISL and the USF This action is supported by “European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights Country Based Support Scheme (CBSS) for Sri Lanka - 2019/2022 to Enhancing CSOs' Contribution to Governance and Development Process in Sri Lanka. Engaging members of the public to use RTI as a tool to ensure transparency, accountability, and civic participation regarding the RTI Right to Information, we are more active in the spheres of Public Service Providers, Newly Elected Local Governance counselors, and Citizens Councils. RTI Interventions: Accessing knowledge by the Public Service Providers on RTI policy and implementation system, the newly elected councilors, and Public Commissions. Mobile practical services on the correct methods in filling up RTI Forms among the Citizens Councils, Women’s Forums, Youth Clubs, and key decision makers among the general public.
  • NLEAP – National Language Equality Advancement Project - Language and Humanity
    Promoting and fostering the effective function of the official language policy through service providers and multi-ethnic community involvement in the Badulla District.
  • Language Training for Newly recruited Public Service Officers
    The focus is largely on cross-checking bilingual usage in Public Service Providing Institutes, Local Government Authorities state-sponsored transport services
    Inspiring attitudinal change functional capacity of the newly recruited young to adopt official language practices ensure people-friendly services also promote Tamil officers to use the Tamil language as right. Created a space for closer interaction among the two language-speaking communities with mutual respect for language rights and trust building, adopting Language Study Circles LSC and Social Cohesion through USF Citizens Councils. Also, special focus is given to the Children to understand bilingual usage, and language rights and to respect other cultural values while exercising role modules and novel initiatives at their respective schools and neighborhood inhabitants.