Colombo – IOM has completed two community projects in Trincomalee District as part of its European Commission (EC)-funded Voluntary Assisted Return and Sustainable Reintegration (VARSR) project. The project helps irregular Sri Lankan migrants stranded in Europe to voluntarily return home and reintegrate into Sri Lankan society.

The Ananthapuri Common Purpose Hall, which will benefit some 320 local families, was built with the help of returnees and the Ananthapuri Rural Development Society. It will house a library, an office for the Grama Niladharis or village leaders and a place for the community to host functions.

"Young people in Ananthapuri will benefit from this facility, as it will allow them easy access to educational materials and recreational activities," says IOM Trincomalee Head of Sub-Office J.A. Jeevananthan.

Meanwhile, in Sardhapura, Trincomalee, Dharmarajah Vidyalaya school has inaugurated a permanent pre-school built by IOM, with assistance from returnees and the host community. The project constructed a building to replace a temporary structure made of planks and tin sheeting. IOM also donated play material for the fifty children attending the pre-school.

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For further details please contact: Rashindu de Mel, IOM Colombo, Tel: +94.11.5325300, E-mail: rdemel@iom.int