Mine Risk Awareness programme completed in 03 Northern Districts
THE UNICEF funded Mine Risk Education Road Show, implemented by Internews for the three Northern districts of Vavuniya, Maulaitivu and Killinochchi was successfully completed from end June to early Sept, having reached a total of 5250 persons( 2081 adults( M 967 F 1114) and 3169 children & students), in 61 sessions in 40 days.
In December, 2009, Internews launched a new program for Mine Risk Education (MRE) in partnership with UNICEF. The program supported the safe return of people displaced by armed conflict in the North of Sri Lanka. CalledKannivedi Kavanam! in Tamil, Internews MRE program’s objective is to help reduce the risk of injury from mines and unexploded ordnance among IDPs, returnees and communities in the north by raising awareness and promoting behavioral change
The recently concluded Road Show visited communities and delivered life-saving information on landmines and unexploded ordinances through short films, discussions and presentations. Internews partnered with local organizations Community Trust Fund (CTF), Sarvodaya, and Rural Development Foundation (RDF) and Humanitarian Demining Unit(HDU), to inform local communities across the Vanni region of the north about the dangers of landmines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)
Internews has also pioneered a new interactive electronic training approach in Sri Lanka by delivering MRE information through a computer game in Tamil to be played by children in each mine-affected area
