Communiqué

The Humpty Dumpty Institute

Monthly Communiqué from Sri Lanka

October 2007

President HDI Ralph Cwerman address the crowd

Mary Wilson gives her memorable performance

Mary Wilson with Ambassador Blake

Singing at the reception

In October 2007, the HALO Trust HDI demining sections cleared a total of 24,210 square meters (22,810 square meters manually and 1,400 square meters using mechanical assets) and uncovered 34 landmines. The areas cleared in October significantly increased compared to September when 12, 395 square meters were cleared. The rain helped soften the soil which can now be excavated at an increased rate. Since January 2007, a total of 107,391 square meters and 435 mines have been cleared under the project. A total of 17 HDI demining sections were working during the month of October. The month also saw the use of mechanical assets in Kopay. 6 HDI tasks have been completed while 7 are being cleared and 5 remain as future tasks.

Clearance at Kalvayal A, B & C minefields is ongoing. A large quantity of UXO was found and will be destroyed in due course. Pandattarippu 3B has been completed and is being used for rice paddy fields. All of the Pandattarippu mine belt has been cleared and handed back to the community. Clearance at Kopay with mechanical assets began in October. This is a former Sri Lankan Army defensive line during the mid-1990s. Part of the suspected minefield has been turned into a banana plantation in the interim years but most of it remains unused due to fear of mines. Clearance at Urelu also commenced in October. The area is surrounded by occupied houses and agricultural and land pressure is intense.

In September, the Land O'Lakes (LOL) team made good progress as it selected its first batch of 363 farmers in 32 cluster areas. Extension Officers continued both classroom and field training. Fifteen cluster trainings for 150 farmers were completed in September as well as initial situational assessments with livestock cooperative societies. LOL also helped to restart the pasteurization plant at the Jaffna Dairy Development Cooperative Society. Additional work started on procuring feed materials and packaging requirements from Colombo. Topping off a very busy month, LOL also signed an agreement with the faculty of business of the University of Jaffna to conduct a market and consumer study.

Spokesperson for HDI Mary Wilson of the Supremes – Mission to Sri Lanka

The Humpty Dumpty Institute in Sri Lanka had the rare opportunity to host its Spokesperson Mary Wilson of the legendary Supremes for 5 days in November. This was her first mission as HDI Spokesperson against the worldwide scourge of landmines and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO). She was accompanied by the President of HDI Ralph Cwerman, Executive Director Joe Merante, Director Mark Epstein, and officials from the US State Department.

Due to security concerns, she was unable to travel to Jaffna where HDI works in partnership with the HALO Trust and Land O'Lakes. However she spent time in Colombo with representatives of both organizations to learn more about the HDI-funded project that is being implemented. She also visited a village in the outskirts of Colombo for disabled ex-servicemen from the military, many of whom lost their limbs to landmines.

Mary Wilson gave a superb performance together with her 7-member band at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo in aid of landmine victims. The entire proceeds from the concert went to the Association of Disabled Ex-Service Personnel and the Jaffna Jaipur Centre for Disability Rehabilitation.

Mary Wilson and the entire delegation were hosted to a reception at the US Ambassador Robert Blake's residence where she also sang for the invitees.

For more information on HDI's work, please contact Jeanne Samuel, the Director of the Sri Lanka office of HDI, #05-03, East Tower, World Trade Centre, Echelon Square, Colombo 1. Tel: 2421258. www.thehdi.org.