In 2016, A-PAD provided rainwater catchment tanks in Kayts Island, Sri Lanka. Following up, in September 2022, A-PAD staff made a monitoring visit to Kayts Island to ascertain how the water tanks have been used.

The water tanks of each household are connected to downspouts. The connecting parts seemed to have been through some repairs but they were still functioning well. When the water tanks were first installed, the households would filter and boil the water for drinking. Currently, the water tanks are used mainly for domestic use as the government provides 20 liters of drinking water every day.

“Children receive free textbooks, however, there are many students who can no longer go to school because they do not have enough paper and pens,” said a local church pastor. Christians make up this Tamil community and church is central to the community. The pastor has deep knowledge and connections within the community.  

Sri Lanka suffered from 26 years of civil war between the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) insurgent group. In the past, the fishery sector propped up the country’s economy, however, after the civil war ended, there was not enough support for the Tamil community from the central government. A-PAD’s assistance was welcomed, but many are still facing inadequate living conditions.

The latest economic crisis has caused food and fuel price hikes. Fishermen cannot operate their ships. Many residents cook with tree branches but it is not safe as houses do not have sufficient air circulation.

The community A-PAD visited has many students who are unable to receive a quality education. There have been only two students in the past 70 years who went to university, and they required help from their relatives. We hope that local students can obtain access to quality education in the future.