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TRINCOMALEE, 2008-08-11
On August 11, 2008, a new USAID-funded bus terminal and shopping complex were opened in tsunami- and conflict-affected town of Trincomalee, one of the main centers of Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.
The multi-faceted project includes the construction of new public and private bus terminals in the main station of Trincomalee Town and Gravets, the construction of a small shopping complex on the grounds of the bus station, and landscaping and fencing for the property.
The planning and construction for the bus terminal brought together many stakeholders to ensure the new facilities met the needs of all of Trincomalee's multi-ethnic population, as well as the diverse interests of bus drivers, three-wheel drivers, vendors, and the general public. The bus terminal is in the center of town and is surrounded by markets and other commercial ventures forming the main hub for interaction among residents. Transport of people and goods throughout the District and the rest of the country is determined by the services provided out of this bus terminal. The completed facilities have improved public transportation services and business opportunities for the local residents, and as a result have contributed to the development of the socio-economic status of Trincomalee.
The new shopping complex replaces dilapidated shops, providing a cleaner, safer, and more attractive place for the public to shop and for vendors to offer their goods. Locating the complex together with the bus station will increase business traffic for the vendors.
Close-by are two other USAID-funded projects: the Ehamparam Sports Stadium and the renovated Public Library. This area, off limits to the general public over the last few years, has again become the focus of public attention and communal interaction.
USAID's Sri Lanka Transition Initiatives (SLTI) Program has implemented 169 grants in Trincomalee District to support livelihoods, peace-building, and media activities, as well as to restore community infrastructure damaged by the 2004 tsunami or years of neglect due to former conflict in the area. The SLTI Program took a bottom-up approach by supporting grant activities conceived and developed in the field through partnerships with community-based organizations, media entities and local government officials. Small-grant activities in both conflict- and tsunami-affected communities seek to create positive relationships, reconnecting people in divided communities, developing capacity for local problem solving, and mitigating conflict at the grassroots level as a way of maintaining space for national policymakers and opinion shapers to negotiate peace.
Funded by USAID and implemented by the US company DAI, the program is now entering a new phase under which it will build or rebuild key infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals and transportation infrastructure, in communities that were cut off from development by the long-lasting conflict. This phase of the program has already begun and will focus on infrastructure in southern Trincomalee and western Batticaloa Districts.
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