Rallying Mothers to Lead the Charge against Child Marriage in India
Naima*—now one of the most outspoken advocates for girls’ rights in her community—did not have an easy childhood. She grew up in Bokaro—a vibrant, cosmopolitan city in northeastern India, famous for one of the largest steel plants in Asia and often referred to as the “City of Scholars” for serving as an academic hub of…
Read MoreSCORE Facilitates Exhibition for 20 Women Entrepreneurs
SCORE worked in close collaboration with the Women’s Development Unit of the District Secretariat of Kandy to organize an exhibition showcasing the products of 20 women-led SMEs from all 20 District Secretariat Divisions in Kandy, at the District Secretariat premises on March 3, 2021. The exhibition was in celebration of International Women’s Day, under the…
Read MoreSCORE Supports Kandy District Secretariat to Celebrate Strengths of Diverse Women Marking International Women’s Day
By Kathya de Silva Senarath After months of close coordination between the Kandy District Secretariat and the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity (SCORE), the International Women’s Day celebration in the Kandy District kicked off on a grand scale at the Secretariat auditorium on March 9, 2021. The event was a celebration of womanhood regardless of…
Read MoreUS Ambassador to Sri Lanka Visits SCORE Activities in the North
“Proud to increase educational opportunities and support COVID-19 response in Sri Lanka” – Ambassador Teplitz By Kathya de Silva Senarath US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina Teplitz, with US Embassy delegates, visited the North of Sri Lanka on February 23 and 24, 2021 to oversee the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity (SCORE) programs,…
Read MoreEmpowering Youth to Engage Meaningfully in Their Community
Originally published by USAID Meriton Binakaj is currently enrolled in online courses to finish high school. “I couldn’t have done it before since I had a long recovery period from my accident,” he says. Besides his high school classes, Meriton spends his time virtually participating in USAID’s Up to Youth activities. Since joining the older…
Read MoreKosovo Youth’s Newfound Life Skills Build Resilience in Their Communities
Originally published by USAID It is essential that Kosovo youth have the skills necessary to take part in Kosovo’s democratic and economic future. Acquiring soft and life skills helps youth become more resilient and makes it easier for them to form multi-cultural relationships and create trust between diverse communities. USAID’s Up to Youth activity provides…
Read MoreEnhanced Well-being for Millions of Families in India
A Story of Transformative Integration at Scale A series of papers recently published in the Journal of Global Health tells the story of Ananya, an initiative launched in 2010 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with the Government of Bihar (GoB) and several global implementing partners, including Project Concern International (PCI). Ananya’s…
Read MoreUnited States Donates Mobile Testing Unit to Fight COVID-19 in Moneragala
This article originally was published by the US Embassy in Sri Lanka January 13: The United States donated a mobile testing unit to the Regional Health Services in Moneragala, received by Dr. B.M.C. Dasanayaka, as part of the effort to fight COVID-19 in Sri Lanka and protect lives through early detection. The mobile unit will…
Read MoreKosovo Youth Transform Their Business with Newly Gained Entrepreneurial Skills
Originally published by USAID Less than two years ago, Fatbardha Muharremi and Herolinda Rexhepi were jobless. Fatbardha had recently graduated from college with a degree in banking and finance. Herolinda, with a passion for clothing, had finished tailoring courses outside of the country. Shortly after Herolinda returned to Kosovo, she reconnected with Fatbardha. The two…
Read MoreSCORE Holds International Webinar on Transformative Role of Women During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled all sectors of society to face new realities, particularly women as they face increased financial difficulties as well as having more responsibilities with children’s education at home which, for many, is now both the work place and learning space. Women in our society have the extra burden of providing caregiving…
Read MoreUSAID SCORE in Sri Lanka Provides 4,000 Hygiene Kits to Help Vulnerable Women During COVID-19
By Kathya de Silva Senarath Over the last month, the U.S. Government donated 4,000 personal hygiene kits to low-income women in the Western Province in Sri Lanka. On November 23rd, 850 kits were handed off to Rosy Senanayake, the mayor of Colombo, to be distributed among Colombo Municipal Council workers and residents of Modara. Many…
Read MoreUSAID SCORE in Sri Lanka Supports Hospitals and Health Offices in Matara and Kalutara to Contain COVID-19 Spread
With the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, health authorities experienced an urgent need of personal protective equipment (PPE) to contain the spread of the virus, but since contagion is rapid, authorities are struggling with limited resources. Some Medical Officer of Health (MOH) offices in Matara do not even have enough thermal…
Read MoreSCORE Assists Schools with Setting Up Health Rooms and Added Healthcare Among Schoolchildren
By Kathya de Silva Senarath The Ministry of Health has instructed schools to take necessary steps to ensure basic precautionary measures against COVID-19. Among its many guidelines, the ministry recommends setting up separate health rooms at schools for isolation and related care when necessary. However, schools in marginalized areas have limited capacities to set up…
Read MoreSCORE’s Timely Donations to Combat Covid-19 Help Build Capacities to Speed Up Opening of Kilinochchi Hospital
by Kathya de Silva Senarath The government opened its first regional Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Kilinochchi in the Northern Province on November 11, 2020, as a part of an island-wide program to increase capacities to treat the growing number of Covid-19 patients in the area. The USAID-funded Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Activity (SCORE) project,…
Read MoreSCORE Helps Sharpen Women’s Knowledge and Leadership Skills to Promote Good Governance
By Kathya de Silva Senarath Before Covid-19 hit Sri Lanka, long queues were the usual scene at hospitals, and patients had to wait a long time to get medicine. Such was the case at the Vavuniya General Hospital as Samantha Sebanesarani, an Urban Councilor recalls, when she went for checkups. Additionally, the pharmacy closes during…
Read MoreSCORE, Through Partner Shanthiham, Increases Access to Mental Health Services During Covid-19 Lockdown and Beyond
By Kathya de Silva Senarath The Covid-19 pandemic is not only a health issue— it is also an economic issue with businesses declaring bankruptcy and many losing livelihoods due to lockdowns and other disruptions to the economy. While significant focus must remain on addressing economic shocks and treating the physically ill, the pandemic’s impact on…
Read MoreSCORE-Facilitated Legal Clinic on Radio Creates Awareness Among Communities, Prompts Action
By Kathya de Silva Senarath Many agree that suspicion and cynicism against the Muslim community in Sri Lanka existed for some time alongside the larger ethnic tensions between Sinhalese and Tamils caused by the 30-year civil war. Competition on socio-economic gains, land issues – especially in the North and East – and the general lack…
Read MorePCI India and ‘Mobile Vaani’ Answer Call for Action Against COVID-19
When much of the world came to a standstill in the wake of COVID-19, one Indian social tech company rose to the challenge. Gram Vaani, which means “voice of the village” in Hindi, adapted its mobile phone-based social media platform—Mobile Vaani—to reach low-literacy, rural and remote audiences across India with important coronavirus prevention messages. Prior…
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