A micro finance non governmental organisation (NGO), the Berendina Micro Finance Institute, that had provided loans for estate workers to build toilets, first, for 15 workers at Glenugiue Estate of the Maskeliya Group and, later, for 10 toilets in the Weli Oya Estate of the Watewela Group, has now received requests from 112 workers in nine plantations encompassing the Watewela, Kahawatte, Maskeliya, Kelani Valley and Bogwantalawa Groups, according to Berendina Chairman Dulan de Silva.
However, he also noted that work by NGOs such as Berendina would be seriously impeded by a proposed Micro Finance Act which would restrict access by 'non profit' agencies to just four districts while 'for profit' public companies are eligible to work in all districts.
Additionally noted, this uptake in loan requests is likely due to wage increases over the last few years. Today, most workers, who currently make Rs. 540 a day, are able to pay Berendina's loan installments of Rs. 1,187 per month, for a loan of Rs. 25,000. Mr. de Silva also indicated that the problem of poor facilities stemmed back to the first workers arriving in 1827, having lived in 10X10-foot line rooms and using poorly maintained common toilets at the back of these rooms or in nearby fields.
A situation which has stayed the same, with less than 30% of today's workers having individual homes and less than 60% with individual toilets, even despite attempts by the government and the tea industry to provide free and subsidised housing. He also pointed out that, while Berendina checked for eligibility and created awareness of the need for proper sanitation, it was the plantation companies' managers, welfare officers and medical officers that provided the land, selected the contractor and also supervised the construction. A process used to ensure transparency and quality in construction.
Mr. de Silva also added that these workers and companies should be commended as "even two years ago there were some planters who refused loans for income generation and re-roofing on the grounds that they do not want to take risks with such loans. The plantations that have now requested loans in addition to Glenugiue are Mocha of Maskeliya Group, Shannon and Dickoya from Watewela, Barcaple and Kataboola from Kahawatte group, Annefiled from Kelani Valley, Wanaraja from Bogwantalwa and a private estate named Mounjean."
In addition, he stated that there were 66 houses and 812 toilets given free by Berendina to extremely poor and helpless workers, as a result of an Indian grant, while over 4,000 plantation workers in 31 plantations, with another 2,000 outside these clusters, take loans from his NGO.
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