Welcome to official Newsletter of

April Volume 2014

HELP-O is organization that established on 1992

and since on that implementing many effective

program

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We are so glad to send you our monthly newsletter

April 2014 to communicate better with our partners,

volunteers, donors, and friends who are making a

significant difference for needy people in developing

nations. You will find here a lot of information about

the activities of the organization.

We are warmly welcome you in bottom of our hearts for

HELP-O Newsletter to share different and important

services done by HELP-O company for the whole

society. We started green projects through

“Environmental Protection & community networking.

HELP-O implemented many waste management

programs in many places of the country. It is very

effective programs because we upgrade the renewable

energy source for the society. We could able to expand

the services to private sectors are involving to the

renewable energy sources. It has high cost of energy

they based on the profit and bio gas is one good

solution to their business.

HELP-O Eco Green got a great opportunity in an

awareness program conducted by Kandy Four Gravets

and Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha.

The community network the people even provide

financial support the people who need to develop their

self employee. The social movement implements many

other social programs for the grass root level people.

Micro finance is one of main service that provide by the

HELP-O. On the other hand our people movement

society converted to co-operative society. This is our

April newsletter and we have done with many

stakeholders.

EDITORIAL

INSIDE STORIES

Earth is such a beautiful place, but it’s now

danger…………………………………………………………..03

Our Planet…. Our future….Is in our hand…….…04

Sustainable Waste Management Program

at the Central Province…………….……………………05

Go Green Project at the Jungle Beach

Hotel………………………………………………………..….06

The Benefits for the Bio Gas

Users……………………………………………………………..07

For a Better Harvest……………………………………..08

A New Version…..A New Step……Is in Western

Province……………………………………………………...09

Courageous Women of HOLDE Women’s

Co-operative in China Garden Branch…..…….10

Coming News & Training Programs……………11

Coming News & Training Programs……………12

Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 192 countries take action for Earth Day. It was first

celebrated in 1970. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as a teach-in

about environmental issues and it was senator first held on 22 April 1970. Nelson was later

awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award in recognition of his work.

Like other Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental

challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of

climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more

important than ever. Earth Day 2014 will seek to do just that through its global theme: Green

Cities. With smart investments in sustainable technology, forward-thinking public policy, and an

educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is

more powerful than the collective action of a billion people.

Earth Day network is the global organizer behind Earth Day, and it creates tools and resources

for you to get involved with Earth Day in your community. Here’s how you can participate:

Earth is our mother and it is very beautiful just like a heaven. Its landscapes, valley, rivers and

lakes are very attractive. The natural beauty of earth always comforts us. The beauty of our earth is

being destroying day by day. We are destroying earth’s natural beauty. The smoke from our

vehicles and factories is causing air pollution that is spoiling the air. Humans are destroying the

earth.

Pollution is probably of the most serious issue facing the world today. Pollution of various

elements of out ecosystem including air, water, soil and sound has caused serious damage already.

Most of our garbage and other solid waste is dumped on land causing land pollution.

Now we face an even bigger danger known as climate change. Pollution has lead to global

warming which has disturbed the global climatic pattern. Winters have become warmer,

frequency of droughts and floods have increased and rainfall has become unpredictable. This has

gotten to such a level that life on earth itself is under threat.

Therefore, we should save our earth by keeping it clean and planting trees among their measures.

Planting trees is important for our earth as well as for us. We should save our earth and we should

make it more beautiful. However no efforts would be complete unless each and every one of us

does our bit to protect our environment. One way by which we can all contribute is by saving fuel.

Earth is such a beautiful place, but it’s now in danger 03

Our Planet……. Our future

is in our hand…….. Climate Change is perhaps the greatest global outcome of

environmental inequity. It is driven by emissions that have

brought benefits to affluent individuals and societies;

however most of the burden falls on poorer individuals of

society, making developing countries and their poorest

citizens the most vulnerable. Changes are occurring in

unusual amount, intensity, frequency, and type of

precipitation. This is associated with an increase in the

extent of areas affected by drought and in the numbers of heavy daily precipitation events that

lead to flooding, and increase in the intensity and duration of certain kinds of tropical storms.

As outlined above, the concentration of disaster risk in poor communities of developing countries

is translated into disaster impacts. The outcome is poverty and it is configured by drivers such as

vulnerable rural livelihoods, poor urban governance, declining ecosystem and the absence of

social protection. Unless these drivers are addressed, the poor will continue to suffer

disproportionately from disaster loss, whether there is climate change or not.

However, climate change magnifies the interactions between disaster risk and poverty. On the one

hand it magnifies weather-related and climatic hazards while on the other hand, it decreases the

resilience of many poor households and communities to absorb the impact and recover from the

disaster loss. This occurs due to factors such as decrease in agricultural productivity, increases

vectors and shortages of water and energy in many disaster prone regions. Climate change,

therefore, is now a key global driver of disaster risk.

Globally, disaster risk is increasing weather-related hazards such as floods and tropical cyclones,

even if hazard levels remain constant.

04

HELP-O ECO GREEN Ltd got a great opportunity to participate

in an awareness program conducted by in Kandy Four Gravets

and Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha for Bio gas technology

in their premises. Mr Chathura Welivitiya the Managing Director

of HELP-O Eco green Ltd, Mr Ananda Weerasekara the Project

Consultant and Ms Krishna Lewkebandara the Project

Coordinator of HELP O Eco Green Ltd and Mr D.A.Dharmasena

the Chairman, Mr Saddathissa Dasanayake the Deputy chairman,

Ms. D. Kodithuwakku the Secretary, Mr Somachandra the Senior

Supervision Commissioner and many other staff members

participated. Mr Chathura Welivitiya explained the following.

Why is Bio gas important?

Bio gas is an important energy source for renewable energy. Bio

gas is an important solution for daily waste collection. With the

development of bio gas it is also necessary to bring change in

agricultural methods and the increase the general knowledge

level regarding the benefits of bio gas, for this positional to be

exploited.

Bio gas is proceeded by a mixture of gases produced from

organic matter of different origins containing methane (CH4) and

carbon dioxide (CO2).Bio gas process involves removing waste; a

100% ecological process. Biogas can be converted into energy

through a process that is much cleaner than burning fossil fuels.

The benefits from the bio gas unit.

Bio gas decreases the energy expenses and can minimize the

irregular dumping and can maintain the supporting place in

beautiful way. The most important thing is that it they can increase the health of environment

around the community.

This is a better environmental friendly solution and given a new experience to the world in a way

in which they are trying to use the biogas while finding better answer for organic waste handling.

This can be considered as a good model to study for others who are eager to gain a green

certificate through environment management.

Sustainable Waste Management Program at Central Province 05

HELPO Eco Green Ltd introduced a biogas program that can be considered as an island wide

sustainable waste management mechanism in Sri Lanka. This mechanism will help to convert

waste into a resource by generating extra income for users while benefitting the environment at

the same time. In this edition of the newsletter we have interviewed one of the beneficiaries in

Jungle Beach Hotel - Trincomalee

Service provider: I would like to know about Jungle Beach Hotel in brief.

Beneficiaries: Jungle Beach hotel is well-known among locals and foreigners. This hotel is located

in Kuchchaveli, Trincomalee. The nature of the east coast is best enjoyed while holidaying at the

Jungle Beach Resort.

Service Provider: In a hotel, the amount of waste generated is very high all the time. So, how do

you manage daily waste while keeping the environment attractive?

Beneficiaries: Waste was a more serious problem when the hotel was first being opened, but over

the next three years HELPO Eco Green ltd introduced a sustainable solution using biogas

technology. Before the construction of the bio gas plant in our hotel, the generated waste was sold

to a person in a nearby village. It was a high cost for our management, but the biogas technology

was a great support in saving those extra expenses, it also helped to save the energy bill of the

hotel. Biogas is used for our kitchen purposes and the generated bio fertilizer will help in organic

cultivation.

A 22m3 capacity biogas plant will reduce daily waste by 450kg-500kg and it will generate 11m3kg

of biogas. Compared to LP gas it saves over Rs.25000-30000 per month.

Service Provider: What are the uses of bio fertilizer for your hotel? What message can you give

others about the use of biogas technology and its benefits?

Beneficiaries: We are using bio fertilizer for our own organic cultivations and it has increased the

growing possibilities. Actually we recommend this system for any place where waste generation is

high. Other benefits of the biogas plant include but are not limited to: free energy, free fertilizer

and protecting the environment by curbing methane emissions. We invite any visitors to study this

system in our hotel to gain further awareness.

Go Green Project at the Jungle Beach Hotel 06

Economical Benefits

Before a bio gas plant is built or a bio gas

program is implemented, a techno-economics

assessment should be made. The economic

viability of biogas programs and bio gas units can

serve the following purposes:

the production of energy at low cost

the conservation of tree and forest

reserves and a reduction in soil erosion

an improvement in the conditions of

members of poorer levels of the

population

improvement in sanitation and hygiene

a crop increase in agriculture by the production of bio-fertilizer

After selecting objectives and counterchecking if bio gas technology can fulfill the objectives at an

acceptable cost-benefit ratio, it is still not certain, that expenses will be invested in the best possible

way. For this, comparison with other alternatives to bio gas programs and bio gas plant is

necessary. The expected cost and benefits are to be shown in the form of suitable investment

criteria to allow statements regarding the economic advantage of the project.

Social Policies

Bio gas technology not only supports national economies and environmental protection, but also

provides for a wide range of improvements in overall living conditions of the local population.

Sanitary and health conditions improve and the quality of nutrition is enhanced by improved

energy fuel gathering cultural and educational activities are supported.

Benefits for the Environment

For many years the rational behind using bio gas technology was for the search for renewable

sources of energy. Bio gas technology is linked to the atmospheric budgets of many greenhouse

gases. Another major environmental target is the mitigation of deforestation of fire wood as an

energy source. The micro economic benefits from the use of bio gas in the field should be

approached with the scope of the specific condition in the household energy sector and possible

alternative protection measures should be analyzed.

The Benefits for Bio Gas Users…… 07

For a Better Harvest…..

A bio fertilizer is a substance which contains living micro

organisms which, when applied to seed, plant surfaces, or

soil, colonizes the rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and

promotes growth by increasing the supply or availability of

primary nutrients to the host plant.[1]

Bio-fertilizers add nutrients through a natural process

of nitrogen fixation solubilizing phosphorus, and

stimulating plant growth through the synthesis of growth-

promoting substances. Bio-fertilizers can to reduce the use

of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The microorganisms that are in the bio-fertilizers restore the

soil’s natural nutrient cycle and build the soil organic matter.

Through the use of bio-fertilizers, healthy plants can grow,

while also enhancing the sustainability and the health of the

soil

Bio-fertilizers provide eco-friendly organic agro-input and

are more cost-effective than chemical fertilizers. Bio-

fertilizers such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum

and Blue Green Algae (BGA) have been in use for a long

time. Rhizobiuminoculant is used for leguminous

crops. Azotobacter can be used with crops

like wheat, maize, mustard, cotton, potato and other

vegetables crops. Azospirillum inoculation is recommended

mainly for sorghum, millets, maize, sugarcane and water

Blue green algae belongs to a general cyanobacteriagenus,

Nostoc or Anabaena or Tolypothrix or Aulosira, fixes

atmospheric nitrogen and is used as inoculation for pady

crop grown both under upland and low-land conditions.

Anabaenain association with water fern Azolla contributes nitrogen up to 60 kg/ha/season and

also enriches soils with organic matter.

Bio fertilizers are not fertilizers. Fertilizers directly increase soil fertility by adding nutrient. Bio

fertilizers add nutrients through the natural processes of fixing atmospheric nitrogen and

phosphorus which stimulate plant growth through the synthesis of growth promoting substances.

08

A New Version…….A New Step…….

Is in Western Province…..

HELP O Eco Green Ltd Dangedara, Galle, opened its first branch at Panadura, Sri Lanka. A Branch Manager&

staff were appointed in order to broaden its service throughout the Sri Lanka.

Our objective is to promote our mission through the Western Province of Sri Lanka. The HELP O Eco Green

Company has developed more than 400 bio gas energy projects in different areas. HELP O Eco Green is always

promoting bio gas at a low cost. Bio gas is formed by energy derived from renewable waste resources. Animal

manures, agriculture residues, industrial waste water, human waste & other organic materials.

09

Choose to make purchases that support the giant

panda Bank of America WWF visas are one option.

The WWF get a donation every time you use this

credit card WWF works in china to keep pandas safe

from poachers on legally-protected panda centric

nonprofit that works with the Chinese government,

researches and veterinarians to protect pandas

In this issue we intend to make you aware of the women who have progressed through their self-

employed activities with the support of HELP-O. Many small businessmen are struggling to

develop their own businesses to no avail; HOLDE Women’s Co-operative Ltd is one of the Galle

district’s best organizations in this respect. The committee thus strives to help develop its self-

employed members’ life styles. Ms. Rasika De Silva, Ms. P.G. Mallika and Ms. P.D. Amanthi

members of HOLDE Women’s Co-operative Ltd’s China Garden Branch. During the Tsunami

Disaster of 2004, all of their businesses were devastated. They tried to rebuild their businesses step

by step, and they received loans and lots of food for the New Year season. We selected these three

courageous women from amongst the members of HOLDE Women’s Co-operative Ltd’s China

Garden Branch to tell us their stories.

“I’m Rasika De Silva, and I own a textile shop. My husband helps me

develop my business. I got many loans from HOLDE Women’s Co-operative

Ltd. and recently I received a loan of Rs. 100,000. Today, thanks to HELP-O I

can conduct my business easily and currently my business is successful. I

would also like to point out that my business yield has been especially

successful this New Year.”

“I’m B.G. Mallika, and I am a small business owner. I’m stitching clothes and

selling as wholesale. However due to financial problems I couldn’t meet the

demands of my consumers, when I got financial assistance from HOLDE

Women’s Co-operative Ltd’s China Garden Branch to ameliorate my

business. Through this financial assistance I could develop this business

while allowing me to develop a sewing business as well. I am happy to say

that my businesses have been very successful this New Year.”

“I’m P.B.N. Amanthi and I am a business woman. I produce bangers with my

husband. I got involved in this committee eight years ago, after the Tsunami

Disaster of 2004. I was distraught after the tsunami as it destroyed all my

work and effort, and I joined the committee for this reason. I participated in

many micro-finance programs conducted by HELP-O and I received many

loans from HOLDE Women’s Co-operative Ltd to rebuild my business.

Lastly I would like to add that I developed my business step-by-step and this

has thusly been a successful New Year.”

Three such examples for the Courageous Women come up from

HOLDE Women’s Co-operative Ltd.

The China Garden Branch

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You can Participate Training Programmes

Coming News……………….. 11

CityNet is excited to announce a new partnership with Seoul

Human Resource Development Center (SHRDC). SHRDC, the

training arm of Seoul, offers a broad portfolio of programs and has

extended these opportunities to CityNet members. This

partnership began in April with a 10 day Urban Transportation

Policy workshop in Seoul, attended by multiple CityNet members.

Applications will be open to workshops on public transportation, e-

Governance, waterworks, urban management and climate change

in the near future

Read More: http://hrd.seoul.go.kr/eng/main.jsp

http://hrd.seoul.go.kr/eng/main.jsp

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Join CityNet and CDIA for this unique workshop from July 15-18,

2014. Local governments are increasingly expected to shoulder

responsibility for infrastructure financing, however many cities may

lack the resources to respond. This workshop equips city officials

with an understanding of a spectrum of financing products that will

boost cities’ competitiveness and sustainability. Updates on how to

apply will be posted in the CityNet website. Click here for a copy of

one of the workshop’s core texts. http://citynet-ap.us1.list-

manage.com/track/click?u=46eafbdf5d128e80923a602fd&id=6787

187ae8&e=30c9e4531e

4th Global Infrastructure Basel Summit 2014 will be held

on 21st – 22th May 2014 in Congress Central Basel,

Switzerland. The program will conducted by Global

Infrastructure Basel (GIB).

Focus of the 4th GIB Summit:”Mainstreaming

Sustainability in Infrastructure Financing and Investment”

Read More: http://www.gib-foundation.org/the-4th-gib-summit/

Thank you to all who

contributed to this

Newsletter

HELP-O Newsletter

To subscribe to HELP – O Newsletter or to send

Comments regarding the publication, contact

HELP-O,

No.364/18A, Samagi Mw,

Dangedara, Galle,

Sri Lanka.

T.P/Fax-

(++94)91 4380121/ (++94)91 2226818

E-mail-

helpogn@wow.lk/ helpoecogreen@sltnet.lk

Web -

www.helposrilanka.org /www.helpoecogreen.com

We Welcome your Comments & New Suggestions………

Contributions for the Newsletter

News/Views/ Letters/ and etc. are welcomed.

Please email to editors (info@helpo-

srilanka.org) with documents attached (word

formatted for windows) or post. If posting, if

possible, please send articles for the

Newsletter both on disk and hard copy.

12