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“It’s a kind of magic”

Published

5 years ago

2021/03/21

The Superhero of safe water sets her sights upon Poonakary

Shaan Corea is a woman with a mission. Like a human torpedo she wills her way to deliver on her one and only target: safe water for all who live in a desolate war-torn area in the North of Sri Lanka.

This is her story and it reads like the lyrics by rock superheroes Queen: “One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal, one golden glance of what should be.”

It’s a kind of magic. One woman. One mission. Shaan has single-handedly moved mountains of apathy and inequity to deliver the most basic of needs: water to the children and people of Poonakary, at the cost of a mere 9 US dollars per child.

Shaan is the founder of Re-Awakening Lanka/ Appé Lanka, which was started in 2015. Her goal is to empower the 25,500 people of Poonakary, a forgotten division of the Kilinochchi District in Northern Sri Lanka and epicentre of the 30-year conflict that ended in 2009.

“The people in Ponnaveli had undrinkable water” says Shaan about the situation in the first of 19 Grama Niladhari Divisions of Poonakary to become water secure thanks to her tireless work. The 2,000 people depended on bowsers to bring water to the villages daily. This was not always possible, due to poor road infrastructure and weather conditions. There was also no drinking water available to the 6,420 students attending school in Poonakary.

Shaan believed that the government would sooner or later solve the water issue in Poonakary but she was adamant that the issue needed to be solved immediately. Thus, since 2017 she has undertaken the task of making it happen, starting with giving safe drinking water to the schools in Poonakary. In August 2019 Shaan finished installing Reverse Osmosis Water Purification systems in 21 of the 24 schools in Poonakary. In addition, one of the biggest schools in the Division is getting drinkable water next week.

“People in Sri Lanka were shocked when they realized that there were areas like Poonakary that did not have access to safe water. The whole secret of Appé Lanka’s success is that people realised that they could give more than just their money, that they could give their talents, their resources or their know-how so that nobody goes thirsty. Once people believed in the cause, they wanted to join in and solve the problem quickly. Children broke their piggy banks… musicians sang… artists painted… celebrity chefs cooked… to ensure that the children in Poonakary have safe water all the time”, says Shaan about the reception and success of her project.

The project continued and was miraculously completed during the current pandemic. “During Covid, it was difficult for the team to go to Ponnaveli, but because we have trained the local people including a Field Officer from one of the villages, Seladurai Rajendran, they were able to manage and maintain the system on their own”, says Shaan about what allowed her project to continue during the pandemic.

“The moment we give them safe water, families are able to successfully cultivate their home gardens, making them self-reliant”, says Shaan about the positive effects that have come about due to their access to clean water.

Ponnaveli is a coastal town, thus the main source of protein is the fish they catch but they have to travel far to purchase the fruits and vegetables they need. The added vegetables from their home gardens will balance their diets and will no doubt make a difference to their health and nutrition.” Shaan also excitedly recounts how on a recent trip to Poonakary, young children invited her to have a meal with them with all the vegetables they had grown in their new home gardens.

“Ponnaveli is the first Grama Niladhari division in Poonakary to get safe water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and tending of home gardens. This is a case study, and since it is successful, we are going to be working in the Grama Niladhari divisions of Kiranchi and Mulankavil. The plan is to give them all safe drinking water,” Shaan says about her plans for the future.

“It is very nice-tasting water Madam”, and “Very good project, thank you Appé Lanka Water Madam”, the children of Poonakary tell Shaan as they hold her hand and share glasses of this beautiful water with her.

To paraphrase the well-known expression: “The Cape fits. Shaan wears it.”

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The National Strategic Action Plan to monitor and combat human trafficking (2026-2030) officially launched

Published

2 hours ago

2026/01/29

Priyan

The Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in the official launch of the National Strategic Action Plan to monitor and combat human trafficking (2026-2030) held on 28th of January at the Cinnamon Life Hotel, Colombo. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Defence, National Anti Human Trafficking Task Force ( NAHTTF), International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This five-year Action Plan was unveiled under the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, in its capacity as Chair of the NAHTTF and with the technical support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The National Strategic Action Plan 2026-2030 establishes a unified national framework to prevent human trafficking, protect and assist victims, strengthen law enforcement responses, and enhance accountability.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening national efforts to prevent and address human trafficking and stated that the Action Plan must transcend its symbolic launch into concrete, coordinated, and sustained implementation.

The Prime Minister also noted that the launch of the National Strategic Action Plan is timely, as it operationalizes the four internationally recognized pillars of the anti-trafficking framework namely prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership.

The Prime Minister further stated,

“Caring for trafficking survivors in Sri Lanka requires a holistic, gender-sensitive, and survivor-centered approach that addresses both immediate protection and long-term recovery. This includes safe shelter, medical care, and trauma-informed psychological support, with particular attention to women and girls who experience more severe and gendered forms of violence, alongside legal assistance, economic empowerment, and skills development to prevent re-trafficking.

Human trafficking is a structural and social challenge that requires sustained, multi-sectoral action. Ministries and government agencies must embed anti-trafficking priorities into their core strategies and day-to-day operations, ensuring institutional integration and professional accountability”.

The event was attended by Parinda Ranasinghe Jnr, PC, Attorney General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Chair of the NAHTTF, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha; and Kristin Parco, IOM Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka and Maldives. Members of the NAHTTF representing 23 key government entities, along with representatives of the diplomatic community, United Nations entities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

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No changes to IMF agreement despite Cyclone Ditwah impact

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared that the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) wouldn’t be amended in view of the impact of Cyclone Ditwah.

The IMF delegation, at the end of its visit to Sri Lanka, informed President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of its decision during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (28). The IMF delegation included Director of the Asia and Pacific Department Krishna Srinivasan, Deputy Director for Asia and the Pacific Sanjaya Panth, Mission Chief Evan Papageorgiou, and Resident Representative Martha Woldemichael.

The 48-month arrangement, approved on 20 March, 2023, during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the President, is for SDR 2.286 billion (approximately US$3 billion). In terms of the agreement, repayment of debt has to be resumed in 2028. Sri Lanka unilaterally suspended debt repayment in April 2022.

Close on the heels of Cyclone Ditwah, the main Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), repeatedly pressed the government to request the IMF to amend the agreement.

The Presidential Media Division ( PMD) quoted the IMF delegation as having said that the strong fiscal discipline maintained by the government over the past year had been a key factor in addressing the challenges caused by Cyclone Ditwah. They said that the government’s ability to present a supplementary estimate of Rs. 500 billion was made possible by a surplus in the Treasury.

The Government of Sri Lanka was represented by Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Senior Economic Adviser to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa, along with several others.

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IMF lauds Sri Lanka’s economic turnaround, highlights regional resilience

Published

5 hours ago

2026/01/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka’s economy has “stabilised decisively” under its International Monetary Fund (IMF)-supported programme, with growth rebounding, tax revenues doubling, and inflation sharply declining, a senior IMF official said in Colombo yesterday.

Dr. Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, delivered the assessment during a public lecture on the IMF Regional Economic Outlook: Asia and Pacific, held at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He was joined by Dr. Thomas Helbling, the Department’s Country Director.

Both officials commended the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region’s overall economic resilience in the face of global challenges and advocated for deeper trade and supply chain integration to mitigate vulnerabilities in international trade.

Presenting a country-focused analysis, Dr. Srinivasan outlined how Sri Lanka has performed against the five key pillars of the IMF programme:

Revenue-based fiscal consolidation, supported by tax reforms and strengthened social safety nets.

Restoring debt sustainability through fiscal adjustment and debt restructuring.

Maintaining price stability and rebuilding foreign exchange reserves.

Safeguarding external stability.

Combating corruption via a comprehensive anti-corruption reform agenda.

“Sri Lanka has come out of the crisis stabilising its economy across three dimensions,” Dr. Srinivasan stated referring to Sri Lanka’s Growth, Revenue, and Inflation. He highlighted that growth “bounced back decisively,” turning positive within six months of the programme and recently averaging about 5 percent annually.

On fiscal performance, he noted a “significant turnaround.” Tax revenue has doubled from a critically low 7.3 percent of GDP to 14.8 percent in 2025.

Dr. Krishna Srinivasan / Dr. Thomas Helbling

Furthermore, inflation has dropped “in a very convincing manner” from approximately 70 percent to the current 2-3 percent range. “One would hope that in the next few quarters, it will reach the Central Bank’s target of 5 percent,” he added.

“Overall, the IMF programme for Sri Lanka has delivered on many of its objectives,” Dr. Srinivasan concluded. “There is still a long way to go in terms of securing strong, sustained, balanced growth, but the program is off to a very good start. All of you, the authorities, and the people of Sri Lanka need to be congratulated for the progress made so far,” he said.

In his regional remarks, Dr. Srinivasan projected that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a key driver of the Asian economy. He suggested that technology companies in the region would be “better served by the capital markets than from conventional banks,” pointing to a need for evolved financial ecosystems to support innovation.

The lecture underscored the IMF’s constructive outlook for Asia’s continued resilience, while emphasising structural reforms and regional cooperation as vital for future stability and growth.

By Sanath Nanayakkare