The Galle Fort Library stands as a cultural and intellectual hub within the historic confines of Galle Fort, preserving knowledge and heritage for generations. Recognizing its pivotal role in fostering learning and community engagement, we are committed to providing comprehensive assistance to facilitate the library's improvements.

Our support encompasses various facets, ranging from infrastructure enhancements to the enrichment of the library's collection. To fortify the physical space, we propose conducting a thorough assessment of the building's structural integrity, ensuring that it meets contemporary safety standards. Renovation efforts will be undertaken to create a welcoming and accessible environment, conducive to both scholarly pursuits and community gatherings.

Two sewing centres at Magalle and Dadalla were constructed and facilitated as training centres for ladies for sewing during early stages of Galle-Velsen Project. However, the centre at Magalle was fully distroyed due to Tsunami.

NAAL initiated the rebuilding of the sewing centre at Magalle, which was destroyed. This centre was established as a project under the Galle-Velsen Twin City Program some years ago to help the young women to learn sewing and gain self-employment. We are happy to note the some of the women who underwent this training in the past taken had into dressmaking as self-employment. NAAL has been able to obtain financial assistance from Velsen for the construction of the new building and the machinery.

One of the early projects which was very successful was to support the poor people who were mainly gram sellers at the Galle bus stand to build their own houses. NAAL negotiated to obtain outright grant possession of land allotment at Galwallawatte in Wakwella Road, in Galle town itself. The principle of this development was that each householder also needed participate and contributing by providing their own labour in the building process. NAAL committee monitored the progress.

When Mayor of Velsen, Mr Peter Molendijk visited the former slum Galwallawatte, the present Velsenpura, it appears to his surprise that the sewer discharging all the waste water was open, which could be a source of all kinds of sicknesses. The board of SOS agrees to supply finances quikly in order to cover the discharge sewer drains with concrete slabs. At the same time the board agreeed with the repair of the common well and the NAAL was asked for a plan for the electricity supply, and also to erect community centre SOS placed at disposal in principle dutch guliders 9000 in June 1989 and the Ministry of Development Co-operation is also requested for a contribution. SOS agrees with a contribution of sixteen hundred guilders for the purchase of furniture, toys and similar things for the community centre.

The sewerage system was improved and internal roads within the area was developed. The large community well which was situated within this area was also developed. NAAL helped them to form a society and to undertake contract work which was to be done within the area. Once a Community Hall was constructed the Galle Municipality established a nursery for children of the area and allocated an officer to manage it. As the development gained the area was re-named Velsenpura and the road leading was also renamed as Velsenpura Road by the Municipality. We are very happy to say that these houses have now developed very well.

An extract book 'Verbonden door water', pages 114 - 125 translated by Mr. Klaas van Slooten.

"Mayor Anneke van Dok is in Velsenpura two years after her predecessor. She thinks that of all it appears that accommodation is a very important element in the life of the Srilankans. Practically every family from Velsenpura have a job and the economical situation has improved strongly. A own nice house has a high status in Sri Lanka and as result one gets much quicker a good job than without good accommodation."

Bonavista Home for the elders is situated in Galle where the elders, who do not look after by their family members find a secured shelter and happy living. It is managed by the Young Men's Buddhist Association (YMBA) of Galle. NAAL with the help of SOS Velson & Velson City has been helping this elders' home time to time for over twenty years up to now. The home was gifted with a water pump to obtain drinking water from a well and a suitable water tank was instilled as far as in 1986. Beds, Bed Sheets and Pillow cases were supplied as required to keep the elders home functioning smoothly and clean. Garden chairs, renovation of dining hall, TV set, fans and a refrigerator were supplied for the use of the inmates. The dining hall was renovated and a few toilets were constructed by NAAL to improve the facilities of the home. A telephone connection was provided in order that the Home could contact a doctor when necessary. A vehicle was donated for transportation since the home was situated outside a main road. NAAL through the help of Velsen assisted in building a Praying room for the elders to be used in religious activities. Monthly supply of Milk food for the inmates has been funded by NAAL every month with the help of Dutch Donors.

NAAL with the assistance of Velsen embarked to develop a community centre at Siyabalahawatte which was situated near the entrance to Galle City. This project was one of the earliest projects handled by NAAL on the Galle -Velsen project along with Velsenpura project. Unfortunately, we do not have pictures of this project which was done almost 40 years ago.

Official opening community centre was by former Velsen Mayor, Mr P.J. Molendijk. Collections for gifts for furniture for the community centre was by the Dutch Reformed Church of Santpoort in Municipality of Velsen. Scouts from Santpoort visited the community, seen the room for the little children in good shape requested toys and playing materials be supplied. Playing meterial and toys were supplied to the community centre. A fence was constructed to prevent the children runnig towards the street, and to prevent free movemet of cows.

In the Galle Rampart, seven poor fishing families were living in shanties nearby old VOC Gun Powder Magazine. A request was made to SOS Velsen to obtain financial help to construct some houses for these people. The SOS administration supported this project through NAAL under the third world assistance directly to be used in shifting these people to the new houses. Some of the fishermen living under very tragic conditions.

With these help NAAL initiated to build few houses for these people. Former Mayor of Velsen, Mr P.J. Molendijk visited Mahamodarawatta when 8 houses were nearly finished. He witnessed that there were further 32 temporary houses existing and thereafter, SOS decided to help the other fishermen as well by supporting only for building material.

An extract book "Verbonden door water", pages 114 - 125 translated by Mr. Klaas van Slooten "In March 2000 Klaas van Slooten is at the place with a delegation. He tells: "SOS-Velsen placed disposable in 1999 money for the replacement of a number of illegal built slum dwellings. End November the houses are delivered and during the visit of the delegation the inhabitants got the keys of the houses handed over by Alderman Fred van Hoek and projectleader Herman Banning. Of Srilankan side a lot of things were done. The delegation was supplemented by Mayor Premasiri and a number of representatives of Galle. We were received enthusiasticcally by the inhabitants withflower garlands and firework en, accompanied by some dancers, introduced in the quarter after hoisting the flags of Velsen and Galle by Van Hoek"

Opening of the project was done by Mrs. Anneke van Dok the Mayor of Velsen at that time. In May 1992, 40 houses were almost ready. These houses were constructed with constant attention of the NAAL. Three years later Mayor of Velsen, Mr P.J.Molendijk visited Galle again to meet virtually satisfied people from the Rampart proud of their own houses. The Visitors went inside these houses and ate and drink with them together. The Mayor of Galle said that it was one of the most successful projects in Galle.

Mr Klaas van Slooten visited Galle with another delegation in March 2000. He says "Velsen made available some funds in 1999 to rebuild number of illegal shanty houses and by November houses were built and keys were handed over presented to the residents during this visit by Mr.Alderman Fred van Hoek and Project leader Mr. Herman Banning".

A tractor and a trailer were purchased from the funds of VNG under twining program and was handed over to His Worship the Mayor of Galle in 2012. The mayor said that this tractor will be used to collect garbage in Karapitiya area. Tractors and equipment being handed over to the Mayor of Galle - President Mr Kumarasinghe and Vice President Mr Punchewa was present on the occasion along with VNG representative Mr Jaap Breugm.

The hospital did not have a liquid Oxygen storage and the practice was to bring Oxygen from Colombo by lorries. NAAL installed a 10,000 Liter liquid Oxygen storage tank through the Ceylon Oxygen Company at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in mid-2004 and that also benefited the other hospitals in the area as they obtained their needs from Karapitiya. It helped to save nearly many lives during the Tsunami.

Under the Galle Velsen twin city program Velsen City Council was contemplating to donate refurbished computers to the City of Galle in Sri Lanka. During the same time, President of The Netherlands Alumni Association of Lanka (NAAL) had an invitation from Drs Evert Jongens to visit Velsen on a familiarization tour in 1998.

The President was met the City Council Members and he was told their intention and they suggested to visit the Nova Collage to meet Mr Theo Elfering, the Director to discuss this subject. The President was introduced to Mr Arie van Duijn a Senior Lecturer specialized in Cisco Networking. Mr Arie van Duijn have visited Sri Lanka several times and he was thinking it's time to introduce Cisco Networking in the high schools in Sri Lanka. Mr Gerrit Out, then IT Manager of The Velsen City Council also supported this idea to donate the City Council computers to be refurbished by Nova Collage students to introduce computer education.

Issues like the transportation, refurbishment and distribution in Galle were discussed with Mr Gerrit Out, the IT manager of Velsen and Mr Arie van Duijn and the most important issues were that the roll out should be sustainable, replicable, and scalable.

During the next visit of Mr Arie van Duijn to Sri Lanka, the contacts were established with the Vocational Training Authority (VTA) and the Collage of Technology - Galle to start a Cisco Networking Academy and a Computer Maintenance class. The necessary equipment to be donated by the NOVA college. NAAL happily supported Mr Arie van Duijn to realize this valuable project.

Nova Collage got involved to think about a sustainable way to make the donation an added value to Galle. A foundation was created to support the project, leaned on four pillars,

1. Siting up a Sisco Networking Academy
2. Training teachers in Networking skills
3. Equipping the centers with computers and networking devices
4. Support and maintenance the installed equipment

To achieve above four targets, they decided to refurbish the computers by students at several Vocational Schools in the Netherlands as part of their education program. Supporting the VTA Training center and Collage of Technology - Galle, also installing a computer network at the Galle Townhall.

For a start early 2003 a container with all equipment and the donated computers from Velsen were shipped to Sri Lanka and a group of Dutch instructors came over to install the computer and networking classroom at the VTA at Talbot Town and train a group of Sri Lankan teachers in Cisco-CCNA Networking. The donated computers were distributed over the Galle Townhall, VTA, Collage of Technology - Galle and several primary schools in Galle and Akmeenema also networks and internet connections were established.

Their idea was to start a twinning program between children from primary schools in Sri Lanka and The Netherlands to develop computer skills and English. To make the whole project sustainable a foundation was created in Sri Lanka to stimulate collaboration between Dutch and Sri Lankan ICT students to install computer network installation at schools and to organize maintenance. As the continuation of the project the container transport was organized and a group of in total 16 teachers and a group of students came to Galle in the summer in the Netherlands in 2004 for a period of one month, to install the equipment and train the Sri Lankan teachers. The idea was to create a computer support center in Galle and expand the project to Primary Schools in Galle Region. After Tsunami more schools in the Netherlands were interested in this project and it was further expanded, and more computers and funds were available. Several groups of teachers came to Sri Lanka and were twinned with Sri Lankan ICT students from the VTA to install computer networks at schools in Galle, Akmeemana, Baddegama, Yakkalamulla, Somawathi Home, Asoka Vidyalaya - Colombo and surroundings. Teacher training institute in Galle and Akmeemana were provide with computers and networks. The Dutch students were lodged at the houses of Sri Lankan ICT Students who participated in the project. The teachers home base was Sri Gamunu Hotel in Unawatuna.

We noted that one of the instructors Mr John Veldt was disable and was using a wheelchair which could be disassemble by him when he had to climb steps and assemble it himself after crawling over the steps. We just mentioned this type of wheelchairs will be very useful in Sri Lanka. After hearing this one of the second container before Tsunami were loaded with 34 wheelchairs for handicap persons which included about 8 electric wheelchairs. NAAL distributed them carefully. Two electric wheelchairs were donated to handicap Army officers working at the army headquarters and an electric wheelchair was donated to a disabled person who was working at the office of Sambodhi Home, Galle.

The best part was that he was going towards post office, and he escaped the Tsunami waves by going uphill and saved his life which was shown in the BBC News those days.

A bus specially made for blood collection was supplied to blood bank which enable the Hospital to collect bloods easily. NAAL set up a 12 KW Solar Energy system to blood bank building which save Rs. 100,000.00 monthly electricity costs to the hospital.

A swimming pool located in front of Light House Hotel was declared open by Julian Bolling one of the greatest swimmers produced in Sri Lanka on 29th June 2008. The Van Der Horst family the owners of Holleman BV of Santpoort of The Netherlands donated funds through Velsen Helps Galle to NAAl for the construction of the pool in memory of their son. The Jetwing Group Light House Hotel donated the land for the pool and also will maintain the pool through the Trust formed to manage the pool. The balance money came from Jeffry Dobs of "Adopt Sri Lanka" another NGO based in UK. The swimming instructor underwent a training program in Holland recently, and today large number of students is using this pool to learn swimming in Galle.

In 2009 NAAL completed and handed over its one of the largest development projects with the construction of 38 two-storey houses for the tsunami affected persons of Galle municipality. Although there were number of housing scheme that were opened to settle the Tsunami victims in Galle District, out of them Ethiligoda Housing Scheme is a unique scheme built by NAAL with the lavish donation of LKR 82 million funded by Velsen Helps Galle (VHE) in The Netherlands. Having a limited land resource, 2.2 hectors, part of which was filled due to water logging, within the Galle Municipal limit, 38 housing units, two story twin houses were built with all necessary facilities. The Tsunami victims were selected by the District Secretary as a special category of affected persons belong to employees of both state and private sector whose houses were completely destroyed but could not get alternate accommodation for a long time . The scheme was declared opened by Her Excellency the Ambassador of the Netherlands along with the First Secretary Mr Gerrit Noordam and a representation of citizens of Velsen from the Foundation led by its Chairman Mr.Guus Haartendorf, along with Cabinet Ministers, Governor of the Southern Province, Mayor of Galle and senior government officials. A community center was also built for the benefit of the beneficiaries of the housing scheme.

Mayor of Galle made an urgent request to NAAL to provide 4 Fog Generators to be used for spraying chemical Fog to control dengue spreading in Galle area. The City of Vellsen heeded to the request and donated 4 Fog Generators through NAAL under the Galle - Velsen Twin City program. Velsen City contributed LKR 820,000.00 while Galle Municipality contributed LKR 82,000.00 for the project.

Donation of Vendor Carts and Skills Development Programmes with the help of OPA.

NAAL, with the help of Velsen, donated 702 concrete composting bins to the Municipal Council of Matara. On 10 October 2010 the first set of bins were handed over to the Mayor in the presence of a large number of recipients at a function at Nupe. The Mayor, M C members, Chairperson of Isadeen town Citizen's Committee and also Mr.Mahinda Ediriweera the Executive Director of "Rural Friends" who manufactured the concrete composting bins were present.Mayor thanked the NAAL and SOS Velsen for helping in the project of solid waste management. He said NAAL has supported a number of projects for the Matara Municipality. Mr. SPC Kumarasinghe, President NAAL, explained the history of the relationship of NAAL with Velsen and NAAL was happy to help the City of Matara in its Solid Waste Management project to reduce the volume of solid waste transported by composting bio degradable waste in to compost at their homes and promote people to use compost in their home gardens.

Certification from Municipal Engineers has been received for the quality of the compost bins. Total Project Cost was LKR 1,898,431/56.

As a follow- up NAAL committee decided to obtain a list of the recipients. A Survey to obtain information from the recipients of Composting bins was done and a Summary Report was sent to the Donor. Lessons learnt from the project will be useful for future projects.

After the Tsunami, the Trade and Industry in the city of Sneek in Friesland had formed a Foundation in the name of "Handel en IndustrieSneek" HIS (Tradeand Industry Sneek) assit need people in this region. It is called HIS voorAzie (HIS for Asia).A request of the Minuwangoda City Development Foundation for funds to assist in completing the roofs of four houses for four poor families selected from Minuwangoda area was made to NAAL President. This request was forwarded to "HIS for Asia". Mr. Geert Jan Douma of "HIS for Asia" agreed to fund the project. Each of the houses received LKR 125,000.NAAL President and the members of Executive Committee released the money while monitoring the progress of the project.

Netherlands Alumni Association started its support for the health sector providing medicine to children of poor families at the Lady Ridgeway Children's (LRCH) Hospital in Colombo through 'Osusala' under a voucher system. The prescriptions were certified by consulting Doctors and NAAL settled bills to Osusala on monthly basis. On a request from the hospital an Ambulance was also provided. These early programs were financially supported by two Dutch Teachers who accidently visited LRH. Thereafter, Velsen Municipality supported these programs.

There were around 375 items in various categories that needed repairs and NAAL attended to this on a request by LRH and also provided the first ventilator for the intensive care unit (ICU). In addition, donated essential equipment to Cardio Thoracic High Dependency Unit. A stretcher bed was also supplied as requested. On a request by Cardiology Department of Colombo General Hospital. Small Tata van to transport food from the hospital kitchen to the wards was provided.

The main hospital of the southern province is Karapitiya Teaching hospital in Galle. NAAL has developed a good relationship with this hospital and visiting Velsen delegates made it a point to visit the hospital when they were in Galle, which paved the way to make available a good amount of assistance for number of areas extending benefit for the people of southern province. Some notable projects implemented by NAAL are as follows. Karapiitiya Hospital was lack of a proper cold room to store medical drugs and NAAL helped to make a proper cold storage room to maintain temperatures between 2C to 8 C to store pharmaceuticals which needed to be stored in low temperatures. With the recommendation of Medical Faculty of Ruhuna University a Gait Disorder machine and bone density assessment machine with a computer to OPD was supplied. Installed necessary pipe systems (a)Oxygen (b) Compressed Air (c)Vacuum equipment for each bed to the seven beds of ICU at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital.

NAAL provided 20 bunk beds and 40 mattresses to the King Girl's Home in Murunkan. Sister in charge of the Kings Girl Home informed NAAL that she received the Bunk beds and the Mattresses in good order and project was completed successfully. Christ the King Girls Hostel Murunkan consists with around 80 girls from displaced families of North and the hostel is run with the objective of enhancing their lifestyle. In addition NAAL constructed new toilets and water tank to the home to make the life of these children in the home more comfortable.

Netherlands Alumni Association of Lanka (NAAL) has been implemented various social development projects in Southern part of the country under the Galle-Velson twin City program and various other sources. In the first time of the NAAL history it initiated a social development project for war widows in Northern part of the country. These widows are citizens of Jaffna who lost their husbands as a result of 30 year conflict in the Northern. NAAL donated ten pregnant cows, eleven Zig Zag Sewing Machine with accessories, 3 months egg chickens for eggs, eight goats and two water pumps for agriculture to 35 widows for Achchuweli in Jaffna.

The funds for this project were provided by the Sri Lanka Ranjana Dr. Evert Jongens of Netherlands, Sri Lanka Foundation in the Netherlands. Project was coordinated by Lt. Col. G.A.L. Kithsiri, Sri Lanka Army, Army Camp, Kuchchaweli. The donation ceremony was held at Central College Achchuweli with the participation of NAAL Executive Committee members. Principals of several Schools and the people for the Jaffna area. Area Commander - Jaffna, Maj. General Hathurusinghe graced the ceremony. He said that all Sri Lankan should live together so that they can have a peaceful society. He further said that these widows who received the donations, equipments and animals should use wisely so as to be able to earn an income for a better life in a peaceful society. After few month's NAAL undertook a monitoring exercise and NAAL could be happy that these widows were earning out of the facilities provided and hence having a better life.

22 pre-schools were handed over with educational toys and other equipment for the value of Rs14268.50 per each school. Each pre-school was further given cash sum of Rs2,000 to purchase any other items and to provide receipts for same. NAAL handed over these items at the Galle Municipality on 9th October 2010. NAAL President Mr Kumarasinghe explained how NAAL obtained the money from Velsen. The Mayor of Galle said that Velsenpura pre-school which was supported by NAAL came to the forefront in the World Children Day contest organised in Galle.

• Ambulance for the Municipal Hospital in Galle.
  
  Music instruments for the school band of the Malharus Sulhiya Central College (Muslim school)
  
  Improvements to YWCA-building at Galle
  
  Dutch Reformed Church improvements
  
  Sambodhi Home Galle donation
  
  Fort Galle- repairs of the sewerage and drainage system
  
  Maritime Museum, Galle Fort: model of a Dutch ship
  
  Scouts Headquarters at Galle, several repairs
  
  Minuwangoda - concrete tiles over the sewerage and drainage system
  
  E-mail contact between the Ashoka Maha Vidyalaya at Colombo and school/schools in Velsen and Haarlem
  
  Promotion of football in Galle
  
  Ambulance for the Municipal Hospital in Galle.
  
  Vidyaloka Vidyalaya: a lathe, welding-equipment and typewriters for training programmes for school leavers.
  
  Karapitiya Teaching Hospital: medical instruments
  
  Contribution for scholarship for Srilankan students (5 from Galle)
  
  Fumigation machine: to spray insect-power in the sewerage system
  
  Support Montesori school in Galle (146,41 Dutch guilders for wooden puzzles)
  
  Gifts from Foundation 'Velsen voor de Derde Wereld' (Velsen for the Third World): 2.400 Dutch guilders for food, 1.800 Dutch guilders for fans and 800 Dutch guilders for bedsheets to Elders Home.
  
  "Worldshop" in Velserbroek (Mun. of Velsen): 1.000 Dutch guilders for a refrigerator for the girls section Elders Home
  
  All Saint's College: placed 300 Dutch guilders placed at their disposal for a modem and telephoneline for internet communication
  
  Minuwangoda: concrete tiles over the sewerage system.
  
  Fire vehicle for Galle - donated by Rotary Club Velsen
  
  ICT Academy in Galle
  
  Installation of computers on 27 schools
  
  Provide the school band of the Southlands College (Fort) with musical instruments.
  
  Training centre for repair of tv, radio and other electrical equipment (centre for electro-technics)
  
  Sambodhi Home - supply of dentist chair
  
  Village Telecentre in Sedawaththa/Pamunugama
  
  Construction of a 'Gymnasium' for Galle
  
  Housing scheme of 38 houses in Aththiligoda, Galle, for tsunami affected families
  
  Karapitiya Teaching Hospital: construction of a cooling-room for the storage of medicines
  
  Home for 10 blind persons in Ahangama
  
  Aththiligoda: construction of a community centre
  
  Help to the Christ the King Girls Home in Murunkan
  
  Purchase of a trailer for separate collection of waste - Galle M.C.
  
  Donation of 35 mm film projectors
  
  Renovation of a dilapidated house within the Galle Fort