Social Development Programme
In order to improve the quality of life for communities living in urban underserved settlements around the island, the Social Development Program is being implemented under 4 key interventions.
Overview
Social development programmes are being implementing to uplift the living conditions of low-income community of their social, economic, cultural through the community development, economic development, educational development and cultural development programmes. These programmes have been executed since year 2011 focusing on communities living in urban underserved settlements in Colombo. Accordingly, the programme is being implementing covering the entire island as per 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. Alos as per the strategic plan of year 2025-2029, the programme has been planned to implement the programmes based on a four-pronged approach designed to promote the participation of the involved community, develop living standards of urban low-income communities and strengthen social mobilization.
Community empowerment programme
The prime objective of the community participatory programme is to empower communities, individuals and community-based organizations with a view to improving their living conditions whilst making the urban underserved communities to understand the importance of cultural diversity. This is executing through four sub-programmes.
- Formation and Functioning of CBOs
- Small Group & Cash Management Programme
- Drug Prevention & Rehabilitation Programme
- Community Health Promotional Programme
- Environmental Programme
Educational Programme
This programme envisions to upgrade skills of children and youth of urban underserved settlements giving them access better employment opportunities through basic education, skills development and vocational training. This programme is implementing under the following main sub-programmes.
- Early Childhood Development
- Youth & Children Development Programmes
- Establishing Libraries & Community Resource Centers
- Educational Awareness Programme
- Vocational Training Programme
Self-employment and Entrepreneurship Development Programme
The objective of this programme is to uplift economic wellbeing of the community through self- employment and entrepreneurship development. This programme can be considered as an important mechanism for developing community based small scale manufacturing economy and unveiling small scale productions confined within isolated marginalized groups. The programme has implementing through sub four programmes.
- Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme
- Entrepreneurship Development Training
- Provision of financial aid facilities for new and existing micro/small scale entrepreneurs, with a maximum amount of Rs. 100,000.00 at minimum interest rates
- Assessment of Entrepreneurship (Market Introduction for Micro and Small-Scale Entrepreneurs) Social Development Programme-2023
Socio-Cultural Programme
This programme is implemented with the aim of promoting coexistence amongst multi-religious and multi-ethnic communities living in urban underserved settlements, ensuring their mental wellbeing as well as promoting their skills. This is implementing under main two sub programmes.
- Cultural & Aesthetic Skills Development Programme
- Religious & Spiritual Enrichment Programme
Habitat Day Programme is celebrating annually on the first Monday of October to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter which was commenced in year 1986. In this year of 2025, the World Habitat Day will be held on Monday, October 6, with the theme focusing on “Addressing urban crises and promoting effective crisis response,” according to UN-Habitat. Accordingly, USDA has planned to celebrate this targeting the low income community of under settlement urban areas.
usda
The Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA),which was established in 2008 by Parliament Act No. 36 of 2008, is an institution functioning under the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing. The formulation of national policy in relation to urban settlement development and ensuring implementation of such policy, along with the provision of improvements to the living conditions of people in underserved settlements, are the interconnected twin objectives of the establishment of USDA.
CONTACT US
- 9th Floor, Stage I, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.
- info.usda2023@gmail.com
- 0112-865215