Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

Damniyamgama eco-village : sustainable Development for tsunami restoration 205
such as tree planting. Beyond the village itself, Damniyamgama plays an all
important role in environmental education on a wider scale. In other words,
the educational function extends far beyond the village. Nearby neighbourhoods
become involved in programmes. Also, national and international
visitors come to the village to learn about eco-concepts and to see how a
good, well-designed ecovillage may function. Government officers and officers
of other NGOs visit the project to gain knowledge about implementing the
eco-concept to a resettlement scheme. Damniyamgama has become a pilot
project and something of an experimental ground which will inform the
development of future similar settlements. Without doubt, Damniyamgama
may be regarded as a model village for demonstrating environmental sustainability,
community-based development, and education to other development
agencies and donors.
Conclusion
Out of tsunami destruction and despair, a ‘model’ of good practice in
ecovillage sustainable development has been established by Sarvodaya.
So far, it may be deemed a tremendous success – both from the point of view
of the quality of life for the people who inhabit it and also because of its
highly successful role in the education of residents and observers about living
in an environmentally friendly and sustainable fashion. It is an excellent
example of community-based environmental education that impacts upon
people of all ages within the village and policy makers beyond it.
Sajini Pathiraja was born in Sri Lanka in 1980. She completed her BSc. Degree in
Agriculture at the University of Ruhuna in 2005. Shortly afterwards, she joined the
Sarvodaya movement – the largest Non-Governmental Organization in Sri Lanka –
doing community service work all over the country. As part of her work at Sarvodaya,
she was given the responsibility of implementing the ecovillage development project for
tsunami affected families. In 2007, she entered Durham University in the United Kingdom
and completed a Master’s degree in Education. After that, she continued her work with
Sarvodaya, specializing in community services with respect to implementing environmental
conservation projects with community participation. She has practical experience with
disaster management and community education as well.