NDB Bank has taken steps to assist the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by improving there livelihood.

About the Trust
For this purpose NDB Bank has set up the ‘IDP Empowerment Trust’ with a seed capital of Rs 10.0 Mn and will ensure the facilitation, accountability and transparency of the projects to be implemented in partnership with organizations that have the capabilities and the capacity to carry out identified projects.

Empowering the IDPs…
As an initial project, the trust will be working with the Vocational Training Authority of Sri Lanka (VTA) that is engaged in conducting vocational training programmes for the IDPs. The Trust will provide the necessary tool kits for the IDP’s who are trained by the VTA, which will help them find gainful employment immediately upon moving out of the camps to their permanent places of residence.

Supporting this Initiative will be crucial in the post-conflict resettlement of these individuals by enabling them to take on the reconstruction and economic recovery efforts that will begin soon.

At present the VTA is training around 1800 IDPs, in skills related to the construction industry, sewing and beauty culture. The successful trainees will be issued certificates of competence based on progress reports and a test at the end of each programme. As it would cost in excess of Rs. 30 Mn to provide tool kits for all 1800 IDPs, the trust has agreed with the VTA to provide tool kits to the top performers during the first phase. However, as the project progresses and the funding of the trust is strengthened by donors, it will be possible to provide the tool kits to all those successfully completing the training programmes.

The resettlement and enabling the IDPs is a humanitarian task of massive proportions and needs the involvement of all sectors, organisations and generous individuals if the task is to be completed successfully in the shortest possible time.

It is with this goal in mind that NDB has taken the initiative to set up the “IDP Empowerment Trust” and earnestly appeals to your generosity to partner with us in this onerous task by contributing to the project.

Trustees:
Eran Wickramaratne, Chief Executive Officer, NDB Bank
Kumar Weerasuriya, Vice President, Head of Operations, NDB Bank
Chrishanthi L Jayawardena (Mrs), Vice President, Head of Legal, NDB Bank
Indrajit Wickramasinghe, Vice President, Head of Retail Banking & Marketing, NDB Bank
Buwanekabahu Perera, Vice President, Head of Commercial Banking, NDB Bank
Dhanan Senathirajah, Assistant Vice President, Head of Finance & Planning, NDB Bank
Rivindu Nanayakkara, Assistant Vice President, Head of Trade Finance, NDB Bank

An opportunity to reach out to the IDP’s...
We believe that together we can reach out to the IDP’s and offer them better opportunities to achieve educational and career excellence and achieve our vision of empowering the IDP’s and changing lives.

For details, contact Sharon on email - sharon.desilva@ndbbank.com