Mid Placement- YITP in Sri Lanka!

Posted by Tyler Morden on June 22nd, 2010

It has now been almost 5 months and I am long over-due with my mid-placement blog entry, I apologize. I have one month left in Sri Lanka and I have mixed feelings about leaving my charming little town I become to know as my home.

Batticaloa Town is located on the east coast of the island. It is the biggest town in the district but I often feel like I am living in a rural community. The roads are not paved, there is no hot water and the town is bustling with bicycles, three-wheelers, motorbikes, and army vehicles speeding through the streets creating clouds of dust that settle on the cows and stray dogs that have planted themselves along the road. The town is built around a network of beautiful lagoons, the untouched beaches are within walking distance, and palm trees provide a priceless shade during the hot afternoons.

 I am interning with the WUSC-East office in with the Youth In Transition Project (YITP). The YITP is funded by UNICEF and has the broad aim to deliver soft skills training (ex. conflict resolution, gender equity, psycho-social support and leadership) to 1000 war-affected youth, including former child soldiers. As a part of the programming, the youth participate in a four month internship placement in their communities to facilitate the reintegration process. The project is very unique to the region and has the potential to create a strong positive change for the beneficiaries.

Initially, my role was to support the YITP team in developing Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tools to document the challenges and strengths of the project. However, our Project Manager was offered an international position with another NGO and left for Africa, leaving us with a lot more responsibilities. Although it has been very difficult and stressful at times, it has been a great experience for skill-building in the area of project management and coordination. I have been given the opportunity to engage in various activities, such as participating in UNICEF forums – which I previously thought would only be available to me in the distant future, so I am very grateful! 

As my time comes to an end, my last assignment is to work with Devin on testing our case study format in the field. As a part of the M&E tools we developed, we created a standard format for case studies and delivered training to local staff on how to conduct case studies and the importance of them for documentation and evaluation. We will be spending the next few weeks in the field interviewing the youth and finding out what has been effective and which areas need improvement.

I have now adjusted to the insanely hot curries, doing laundry by hand in a bucket has become the norm and sleeping without a mosquito net makes me feel agoraphobic, I am concerned about my transition back into my Canadian lifestyle. Although at times I really miss cappuccino, wearing coats and scarves, and efficient public transportation, the idea of having to choose one of the millions of options that are available for everything makes me cringe.

Another update coming in two months once I’m back home in Winnipeg!

Posted in In-Country