The District Safe Migration Forum organized by the Foreign Employment Division on the Project of Empowering Civil Organizations Against Human Trafficking was held yesterday (21) at the Kegalle District Secretariat Auditorium under the chairmanship of Additional District Secretary Dilip Nishantha representing the Kegalle District Secretary.

Human trafficking is widespread in all countries of the world. This is currently being implemented in Sri Lanka in a highly risky situation. In the year 2023, the above project was implemented to find solutions to the problem of high risk by selecting five Divisional Secretariat Divisions in Kegalle District which are in a dangerous condition. In Sri Lanka, this situation can be called as a matter that is very risky and has the potential to happen. Mr. Chaminda, the project manager, commented on this: Under the USAID financial support, SAFE FOUNDATION is currently contributing to the empowerment of civil society organizations against human trafficking and against human trafficking in Kegalle district. This project was started in the year 2023 and the divisional secretaries were informed at the divisional secretariat division level to empower this at the ground level. This is currently in operation in 12 districts of Sri Lanka. As the Kegalle district is also in a high risk situation regarding human trafficking, it has been identified as a district that needs to be actively worked on. Under this, in the year 2023, five divisional secretariat divisions namely Dehiowita, Deraniyagala, Ruwanwella, Yatianthota, Bulathkohupitiya have been identified. In order to find solutions to this problem, this should be implemented as a joint program in which all three sectors, the private sector, are represented. Also, the Ministry of Foreign Employment, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Employment Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have jointly appointed the National Task Force as the legal forum for this crime.

According to the world rankings in terms of human trafficking, Sri Lanka is currently in the second place. How do we, as public, private and non-governmental organizations at the grassroots level, deal with this threat, which the entire world sees as a second-class crime? We contribute to the problem. For that, 10 civil organizations in Kegalle district have been empowered to implement this project in the year 2023. In the five selected divisional secretariats of the district, the relevant subject will be informed and the institutions will be developed and all the necessary infrastructure will be provided. Apart from that, regional forums, district forums and national forums are established and implemented from the local level upwards.

In addition to the five Divisional Secretariat Divisions mentioned above, the two Divisional Secretariat Divisions Galigamuwa and Aranayake have been identified in addition to the expected goals for this year. In the year 2023, Rs.50000/= for each of the identified Divisional Secretariat Divisions and Rs.5500000/= for 11 months were allocated for civil society empowerment. Of these, nine organizations received funds of 500,000 /= and two organizations received funds of 200,000 /=. The rest of the money had to be remitted. In the year 2024, the amount of Rs. 50000/= allocated for one institution has been increased to Rs. 60000/=. 6,600,000 rupees have been allocated to civil society organizations for eleven months.

In addition, in the year 2023, 240 government officials with knowledge of the scope have been imparted knowledge through resource persons, civil society members, private stakeholders, heads of civil society members, youth groups, leaders of youth groups have been trained. In relation to the public sector, many large projects such as the establishment of regional forums against human trafficking, the establishment of district forums, the establishment of forums targeting estate leaders, etc. are being implemented from the year 2023. This project is implemented to prevent human trafficking, provide security, take legal action and refer to legal situations to keep human trafficking in Kegalle district to a minimum.

During this council session, Additional District Secretary Dilip Nishantha Mahatma asked that NGOs should submit a progress report in the year 2023 on how money was spent in allocating money to NGO officials. Also, he asked whether victims were met in the district last year, especially if they maintained direct relationship with the government officials of the district secretariat, even though they said that the non-governmental organizations would not meet the victims in 2024. He emphasized that all government officials related to the scope of the public sector should be aware of the scope of the non-governmental organizations in the implementation of these projects against human trafficking in the district if it is to be transparent and responsible. The manner of spending the money should be reported correctly and if the District Secretary's Office is involved in this or if not, if our government officials are involved in this matter, the district's non-governmental organization coordination officer should report to the District Secretary about its progress and the distribution of this money and the results thereof. The District Secretary should report to the Central Government regarding the service.

He said that if awareness programs are conducted for children related to estates, it will be of great help to them.  He also presented a proposal about an attempt to enable the children to get an N V Q certificate by starting an electrician course to be held on weekends at a temple in Bulatkohu Pitiya, Kakalapana Grama Niladhari Division, for the future of those children after the G.E.C(O/L) and G.E.C.(A/L) exams.

This program was organized by the Foreign Employment District Coordinator Mr. Harendra Udumulla.

Mr. Ranjith Wickramasinghe, Chairman of the Organization for the Protection of Environment and Children's Rights, said that as a non-governmental organization, they are working to implement this mechanism jointly with officials related to the scope of the District Secretariat.

District Social Service Officers, Child Rights Officers, Development Division Officers, Counseling Division Officers, Early Childhood Development Officers, Skill Development Officers, Employment Promotion Division Officers from all fields and Environment Protection and Non-Governmental Organization Officers also participated in this event.