The trains were running. The roads were all but done. Normalcy, arguably, was the norm. The common perception is that the East of Sri Lanka is in geometric progression to conventional routine.

Not quite, but almost there. Farmer families did not have to take refuge in the jungle at night fearing marauding Tiger killer squads. They are now in their homesteads in routine pursuit of normal living. That was what we saw. A small group of journalists was taken on tour to the Batticaloa district of the Eastern Province.

The United States Agency of International Development, USAID, and Connecting Regional Economies, CORE, have made meaningful inroads to enhance economic development in that part of the country.

We visited land tracts in Poonani and spoke to farmers, the corporate sector and infrastructure people. Most who matter, simple people, who came up with first-hand information on transformation in their lives.

Brandix, the apparel exporter, in characteristic innovation established a manufacturing plant in Poonani. USAID assistance amounting to $100,000 grant funds encouraged Brandix to invest additional funding amounting to US$ 500,000 and within approximately six months established an apparel plant in the remote confines of Poonani. It was ceremonially opened during our visit.

Mission Director, USAID Colombo, Rebecca Cohn said their initiative to assist in Eastern normalization is positively influencing lives of many in the district. She said aid grant offered had positive responses from Brandix and the ultimate outcome was active completion of the apparels plant.

Director, Brandix Lanka Ltd., Ajit J. Johnpillai said they had trained 600 young people to operate their assembly line machines over a period of eight weeks. Scientifically designed, the training program imparted skills to enable sewing machine operators (SMOO) to handle garments machines. They were afforded further on-job training and would receive qualifier certification at completion of training, a given period of eight months.

Youngsters recruited were from three ethnic groups in the Eastern Province Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim. We interviewed a small group of these trainees. A mixed group. There were also young Tamil combatants recently rehabilitated who were in that first group of trainees.

Positive responses from trainees interacting in Tamil and Sinhala were that they are now in regular employment and contributed to family income. ‘Would you leave after you have gained more confidence and experience?’ ‘No’. ‘What if you could command a better job and more pay?’ ‘Not even then’. ‘Why?’ ‘This company trained us. We knew nothing of these skills. We owe it to them for making a definite contribution to our lives. Why should we leave?’ These were comments of those who had completed their initial training program.

Most of them were females, but there was a sprinkling of male trainees as well. Quite refreshing though it was it deserves mention in this text that they did not revert to past trauma, but looked to more productive future endeavours and exuded that degree of confidence that they had a fruitful future.

The development agency of the US Government partnered with Brandix to create the Apparel Sector Training Partnership to train local people in former conflict areas to work and meaningfully impact their lives.

Also present at the ceremony were General Manager, Brandix East, Theodor Gunasekera, Manager - HR & Administration, Chanaka Kulatunga, and Director, Financial Division, Trevine Jayasekera.

Outreach and communication Officer, USAID, Lorna Middleborough, at an informal preemptive discussion said USAId activities included among others, through funds allocation, wide cross section in funding headings. Supporting Regional Governance attracted $9.6 million; CORE activities $13.566 million; similarly a longer list of seven other projects having approved funding from the US Government, she said.

It is also on record that since 1956 USAID invested some $2 billion in assistance to Sri Lanka.

CORE mainly concentrated on farming. CIC through given funding from CORE, have been allocated 2800 acres land for farming in the village of Siddhapura. A cattle and goat farm would produce approximately 4000 liters milk per day when the farm is more productive.