The aftermath of violent conflict and tensions in Sri Lanka has created divisions and inequality in Colombo. We Build Colombo Together (WBCT) is an initiative designed to address issues of urban wellbeing and marginalization through modified collective impact methodology. With the backbone support of Search for Common Ground, approximately 150 organizations and community leaders work together to build a more diverse and equitable Colombo. The informal network has reached an estimated 50% of the city’s population, located in 100 communities in the city. Additionally, WBCT recognizes the important benefits of engaging youth in this project as partners in change, as 60% of the core team is under the age of 35.
In 2020
In 2020, We Build Colombo Together (WBCT) has continued to take collective action to address urban wellbeing while mobilizing to provide support for Sri Lankans amidst the COVID19 pandemic.
As part of this initiative, WBCT launched the Community Development Committee (CDC) ID cards system. The CDCs are councils designed to represent the development and interests of the lower-income communities in Colombo, but their lack of formal recognition in recent years has led to low efficiency and results. WBCT worked with local officials and civil society actors to implement ID card usage, providing legitimacy to the CDCs and recognizing the important role that they can play in urban wellbeing. In January, over 330 community leaders received these identification cards, allowing them to track their activities and work across civil society as recognized leaders.
In addition, WBCT actively prioritizes youth in their work. In 2020, WBCT ran a digital literacy skills program for 35 young people in Colombo. The success of this initiative led participants to push for the creation of the Colombo Central Youth Club (CCYC), which is supported by WBCT and aims to formalize a network for these young people to continue engagement with each other and the community. The CCYC is made up of youth ages 15-31, and the members elected four representatives to serve as leaders in the Club.
Additionally, WBCT prioritizes youth by developing the Reimagining Neighborhood Schools project to improve both the physical structure and resources of schools in Colombo. In the pilot program at the Holy Rosary School, the project helped provide school supplies for the 50 poorest students, opened an IT lab, secured 4,000,000 LKR (21,500 USD) in funds to rehabilitate the ground floor, and led a home garden initiative for the school. In light of the COVID19 pandemic, the project is working to ensure that the lowest-income students in the school receive aid, securing 400,000LKR to provide dry food ration support to families.
We Build Colombo Together responded to the COVID19 pandemic in other ways as well, working with community members and local leaders to conceptualize and implement a relief campaign using the network’s collective impact methodology, bringing the strengths of various sectors and organizations together for rapid, collective action. The campaign raised 3.5 million rupees (18,800 USD), and the funds were distributed as coordinated relief packs to approximately 5,000 low-income families identified by CDC leaders. In addition, WBCT partnered with Sarvodaya, the Spacial Task Force, the NGO coordination office, and District and Divisional secretaries of Colombo to develop an initiative, called “Together We Can Feed Them All,” to reduce the risk of starvation during the pandemic. Project members collectively reached out to over 4,500 families and relief agencies to provide aid, working to stymie the broader ramifications of a lockdown on underprivileged communities.
The impact of this work was aptly described by an activist associated with the project, who said that “if WBCT and Sarvodaya were not there, people would have died because of hunger and not by COVID19.”
WBCT also supported innovative entrepreneurship solutions during this crisis. The network registered and trained 40 families as PickMe vendors during Vesak, an important Buddhist festival in Sri Lanka for which these families traditionally make and sell lanterns. New market opportunities are vitally important for maintaining livelihoods despite the challenges of the pandemic.
As Narahenpita, one of these vendors, said, “Thank you very much for helping us by connecting us with PickMe. we never imagined that we can become PickMe merchants. We can now plan the next production without having to worry about accessing the market!”
Even amidst the crisis of COVID19, We Build Colombo Together continues to work towards its mission of improving urban wellbeing through collective, community-based action in order to achieve greater peace and security in Colombo.
