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Small Fishers Federation is a development network of Small scale fishing and farming Communities

The Small Fishers Federation (Sudeesa) was set up in 1992 as a development network of small- scale fishing and farming community organizations in Sri Lanka. It she ad quarters are situated in Pambala fishing village in Puttlam District. Small scale fisher folk and small farmers, as one of the most socially and economically vulnerable groups,are engaged in fishing in shallow waters of the sea and also inland fishing and farming areas using very primitive fishing gear and farming method. Their average income is US $ 16 per month.According to Government statistiques, 62% of members of fishing and farming communities are living in below the poverty line due to lack of technical know how, lack of capital and market facilities and also lack of organizational strength. Sudeesa is an approved charity and non-profit non-governmental organization, incorporated under the regulations for the Monitoring of Receipts and Disbursement of Funds by NGOs under the NGO Secretariat of the Sri Lanka Government. As an umbrella organization, Sudeesa conducts advocacy, economic, social and educational programmes to strengthen and empower its member communities in self-reliance. Sudeesa is a grassroots level membership organization and giving special reference to destitute women,widows,youngsters and children in the member communities.During last three years, the organization membership of Sudeesa has been increased from 459 to 1500 members’organizations.The activities of Sudeesa are managed by 12 members’ board of Governors and of them 6 are beneficiary women leaders from member communities.

Village based organization In order to achieve the vision, mission and goal of Sudeesa, it works from grass root level onwards,using a federal structure of village-based organizations. By organizing the fishing and farming communities in village organizations and empowers them to tackle together the different challenges that they have faced. These organizations are developed as co-ops with legal entities for full plagued development. The members are the decision-makers and “own” all the decisions and therefore,they are committed to making the success of entire programme. Sudeesa uses an integrated approach to address the different challenges faced by fishing and farming communities.Sudeesa activities are defined to achieve result on education, health and socio-economic issues,which are together should lead to sustainable social and economic living.

Social Empowerment Programme (SEP)

​Beginning in 1996, the focus of the development strategy of the Sudeesa has sharpened in both domainsof social development and economic development, giving wider emphasis for women and youth to play pivotal roles in decision making for their own development. For this purpose, their capacities have been developed through district plans, under the support of Terre des Hommes, Netherlands. (Video). For Link

http://sudeesa.lk/Declaration%20of%20Mangroves%20Video/Sudeesa%20Wideows%20Programme.html

Women Focused Programme

​The women, including widows of the fishers and farmers communities are deprived groups. Most women are unemployed, Low-educated and are living under poor social conditions. Their family income is low; 30% of the families have hardly enough money to pay for their daily expenditure. The women and their families are open to all kind of risks. The strategy chosen by Sudeesais to intervene in the lives of these vulnerable groups through organizing them in to village organizations.

The Village Organizations provide the women a platform to discuss and act upon their social, family, health and economic problems. Village organizations help the women by providing access to women’s economic enterprise development services of Sudeesa. They can borrow, save and be insured. The Sudeesa stimulates women to engage themselves in self-employment activities by not only providing credit, but by also offering business training, skills development support and marketing possibilities to make successful the income generating activities of the women. The members are divided into production groups under the Sudeesa programme and they have a platform to discuss their production activities and marketing related issues together. In Sudeesa programme, widows (Who are even more vulnerable within the community) in the fisher communities are offered the same development opportunities as the others.

http://sudeesa.lk/word%20to%20pdf%20003.pdf

Increasing Livelihood Skills, Social and Social Skills

In order to achieve the vision, mission and goal of Sudeesa, it works from grass root level onwards,using a federal structure of village-based organizations. By organizing the fishing and farming communities in village organizations and empowers them to tackle together the different challenges that they have faced. These organizations are developed as co-ops with legal entities for full plagued development.

The members are the decision-makers and “own” all the decisions and therefore,they are committed to making the success of entire programme. Sudeesa uses an integrated approach to address the different challenges faced by fishing and farming communities.Sudeesa activities are defined to achieve result on education, health and socio-economic issues,which are together should lead to sustainable social and economic living.

The Conceptual Framework

Vision.

The Vision of the Small Fishers Federation - Sudeesa is the social transformation of the small scale fishing and farming communities with access to equal opportunities in order to achieve fully fledged development of individuals and their families.

Mission.

Sudeesa operates in a modest way to provide awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment where necessary, for social transformation. The fishers and farmers including women and youngsters who benefit from the Sudeesa programmes are encouraged to explore personal, collective, structural, cultural and ecological factors which are significant for social transformation and geared towards to sustainable social economic and ecological development.

Goal.

The goal of Sudeesa is to improve the social and economic living conditions of all the coastal and inland fisher communities and associated farming communities of Sri Lanka. Sudeesa aims to harness the full potential of the small-scale fisher and farming population – specially the women, youngsters and children – by providing care and education and introducing new fields of subsidiary occupations and self-reliance activities in order to improve their standard of living, both socially and economically.

Key Principals

The following key sustainability principles are incorporated into operational policies and practiced of Sudeesa at all levels of implementation.

Family is First - Family is the base for social sustainability. If the family lacks in basic needs, members suffer from destitution, lack of social recognition, discrimination by social forces and neglect. Lack of social sustainability affects economic sustainability in the family. If women are destitute, or youth are idle in the families. There is no proper family cohesion. This leads to the absence of healthy participation in decision making in the development process of their families. Therefore the Sudeesa has formulated all its policies to strengthen the family unit in the society. Community is Central - The fishing and farming Communities are central to use and management of their own resources. They use resources for livelihoods and therefore community participation is a prerequisite for community based sustainable resource management and wise use. Community participation means - people are the proprietors and decision makers. Participation must not be induced or co-opted. People must be the subjects not the objects of development initiatives. Participation is the essence of responsible stewardship of natural resources and its wise use. Therefore, all the activities of Sudeesa are implemented through village organizations based on community visioning and their decision-making. ​Natural Resources are the Key - Natural resources are the basis for sustainable livelihood development and a crucial aspect of the food production and life support system. Sudeesa has formulated its policies and operational policies incorporating the principle of regeneration of natural resources for sustainable livelihoods. For the sustainable regeneration of natural resources, Community responsibility must be developed. Sudeesa believes that the citizens of the country must help to conserve and protect natural resources and also aim to regenerate these valuable resources. Partnership - Partnership principles are incorporated into Sudeesa activities. Sudeesa works with community, local government and all stakeholders of the development process, nationally and internationally. Sudeesa promotes gender equity and gender balance and respects indigenous knowledge and wisdom. One third of Sudeesa benefits go to women, one third to youth and one third to children. The village organizations, as collaborating groups undertake for implementation of all the activities and involve as many as local organized groups to ensure ownership of the activities are transferred to the community. Sharing responsibilities and participatory planning activities with women and youth are considered vital for social and economic sustainability.​ Empowerment - Empowerment policy is the key in social, economic and environment sustainability. Sudeesa enables women, youth and all stakeholders to make decisions that affect them both at their own level and at higher levels through their own organizations 002

Intervention Straregy Village Based Organization - In order to achieve the vision, mission and goal, the Sudeesa works from grass root level upwards, using a federal structure of village-based organizations. By organizing the fishing and farming community in village organizations, it empowers them to tackle together the different challenges that they have faced. These organizations are developed as coops with legal entities for full plagued development. Members are the decision makers - The Members are the decision - makers and "own" all the therefore are committed to making the entire programme succeed. the Federation uses an integrated approach to address the different challenges the fishery communities. Activities are defined to achieve results on education, health and socio-economic issues, which together should lead to sustainable social and economic living conditions. Financial Support and Training Facilities - In their, the village organizations are supported and guided by SFFL and are offered the use of the financial and training facilities of the Federation. Furthermore, the federation aims to influence operational policies and strategic management in different areas of development by participating in platforms at village, divisional, district and national level. Federal Structure - The federal structure of the Small Fishers Federation unites the members of different communities at village ,district and national level. An individual member can benefit from this, economically and socially. Since members are informed of issues which affect their future needs and their welfare, they make their views known to the district body of Federation or directly to the national head office, which can address to the government nationally, and other policy authorities at a district, division or village level.

Small Fishers Federation is a development network of Small scale fishing and farming Communities

The Small Fishers Federation (Sudeesa) was set up in 1992 as a development network of small- scale fishing and farming community organizations in Sri Lanka. Itsheadquarters are situated in Pambala fishing village in Puttlam District. Small scale fisher folk and small farmers, as one of the most socially and economically vulnerable groups,are engaged in fishing in shallow waters of the sea and also inland fishing and farming areas using very primitive fishing gear and farming method. Their average income is US $ 16 per month.According to Government staristiques, 62% of members of fishing and farming communities are living in below the poverty line due to lack of technical knowhow, lack of capital and market facilities and also lack of organizational strength. Sudeesa is an approved charity and non-profit non-governmental organization, incorporated under the regulations for the Monitoring of Receipts and Disbursement of Funds by NGOs under the NGO Secretariat of the Sri Lanka Government. As an umbrella organization, Sudeesa conducts advocacy, economic, social and educational programmes to strengthen and empower its member communities in self-reliance. Sudeesa is a grassroots level membership organization and giving special reference to destitute women,widows,youngsters and children in the member communities.During last three years, the organization membership of Sudeesa has been increased from 459 to 1500 members’organizations.The activities of Sudeesa are managed by 12 members’ board of Governors and of them 6 are beneficiary women leaders from member communities.

Village based organization

In order to achieve the vision, mission and goal of Sudeesa, it works from grass root level onwards,using a federal structure of village-based organizations. By organizing the fishing and farming communities in village organizations and empowers them to tackle together the different challenges that they have faced. These organizations are developed as co-ops with legal entities for full plagued development.

The members are the decision-makers and “own” all the decisions and therefore,they are committed to making the success of entire programme. Sudeesa uses an integrated approach to address the different challenges faced by fishing and farming communities.Sudeesa activities are defined to achieve result on education, health and socio-economic issues,which are together should lead to sustainable social and economic living.