General Statement:
The Blue Sky Village Foundation is proud to be undertaking this mission to Sri Lanka as a precursor for the possible launch of world.
The Blue Sky village is an innovative way aimed at enabling the world’s poorest citizens to improve their lives, and the lives by providing a decent home; a means to earn a fair living; a good education for their children, and a health care system which
Expected Mission Outcomes:
- Share Blue Sky Village concept with appropriate Sri Lankan authorities and secure their buy-in.
- Secure the collaboration of a local authority that will provide land for the project and undertake to assist in mobilizing
- Start technical study of the land to draw up and cost a masterplan for the first Blue Sky Village
- Initiate, in collaboration of the partner local authority, a demographic study to determine the best first residents of the married and 40% independent youths.
- Speak with local planners, officials and construction industry players to understand the cost of construction in Sri Lanka Village’s investment plan.
- Identify the kind of food products likely to be made in the village for export to western consumers.
- Agree with partner local authority on a Road Map for the Village’s establishment
INTRODUCTION
One of the greatest challenges the world faces today is the ending of extreme poverty. In Sri Lanka, although significant strides have been made to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line, there is still much that can be done. Sri Lanka has been more successful than most South Asian countries in reducing the number of people in extreme poverty, and is working towards the goal of eradicating poverty by 2016.
According to the 2014 budget speech, Sri Lanka’s poverty level is 6.4 per cent — meaning, that 6.4 per cent of the total population of about 20 million live below the official poverty line (OPL). The figure was 15.2 per cent in 2006. This shows a commendable reduction of poverty. The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) declares that the OPL is Rs. 3,781 per person per month — or Rs. 126 per day. The figure is derived using the absolute poverty line approach. In other words, this is the income that one person needs to meet the cost of basic needs which include the cost of food to provide 2030 kilo calories per person per month, clothing, housing, education, transport, and medicine. The cost of food takes about 44 per cent of the income.
The Blue Sky Foundation aims to make a positive contribution to Sri Lanka’s strategic growth obj against eradicating poverty by creating self-sustaining villages in Sri Lanka and around the world. We plan to build the first one in Sri Lanka.
The Blue Sky village is an innovative way aimed at enabling the world’s poorest citizens to impr lives of their families and neighbours by providing decent home; a means to earn a fair living; children, and a health care system which is available when needed.
The Blue Sky Villages are not charities, but enterprises in which residents are stakeholders for work in the village.
Every village will be twinned to richer communities around the world and shops and outlets in th be invited to sell a range of products produced in the village work units. Profits from sales w to residents of the villages.
Sri Lanka is a country with a tragic history in recent times. Yet the resolve of its people to move on fro is largely the reason why this beautiful country has made so much progress.
The Blue Sky Village which we are hoping to pilot in Sri Lanka will be an opportunity to show the world the Sri Lankan people.
The Village will be a hub of activity benefiting the residents and those living in the area where the village is sited.
The pilot village will start with a hundred sustainable homes and as the village enterprise makes money until a maximum of 500 homes are reached.
The Village will not operate as an isolated gated community, but as an enterprise which will benefit the region.
Poverty can only be defeated by providing a means for our poorest citizens The Blue Sky Enterprise Village will do just that! Every village will provide a medical centre, and community facilities for its residents and those living around the village.
- Each village will be twinned with towns and districts in the UK, EU and USA.
- The village workshops will produce goods under The Blue Sky Village brand which will be sold through shops villages.
- Villages are not charities, but enterprises, and profits made by the villages will help set-up another village
- The average bungalow style home will have two bedrooms and a living area and simple kitchen . The floor 200 square foot garden.
- The land area required is approximately 12 hectares . One hundred homes will be the initial build, but with enough land to build a further 400 homes in the future. The projection is to build an extra 100 homes a year from the funds generated and other Revenue streams. A continuous build of homes will mean a regular employment for the inhabitants region.
- The plan is to build the first 100 homes, guest quarters, community centre, work units, school and clinic sections will be completed first as they are smaller, to allow for productive work to start within months the local people start benefiting even before the village is completed.
- The villages production units will produce and process a wide range of products from sauces to dried fruit raw material and produce will be purchased at a fair trade price from local farmers and suppliers so everyone in the region benefits.
- All villages will include a visitor centre and a luxury hotel where wealthy friends of the village can pay significant revenue stream for the village.
- The Village will have its own farm and gardens. Where livestock and fruit and vegetables will be grown for commercial production. As we want the community and farmers to benefit in the region the village will com variety of produce which will be processed and suitably packaged and sold in the shops in the district that each village has been twinned with.
A typical 600 sq foot two bedroom home simply furnished with shower unit and compost toilet will cost around £6000 -8000 including labour and materials. The homes will be constructed with bricks and concrete with wooden frame work.
- Each Village will be a registered social enterprise with a management board.
- Loans to build villages will be provided by the Blue Sky Village Foundation. A charitable f provide low interest loans to build Blue Sky Villages across the world.
- The profits from each village will be paid to the Foundation which in turn provides loans to build more villages.
- The Blue Sky Foundation will oversee the twinning process for each Village and help find mar Products.
- Each Village will have its own website where online purchases can be made.
- A warehouse in London will house products from Villages across the world and distribute them district which each village has been twinned with.
- A crucial aspect is to find markets for Village products which we have a solution for. We have many contacts in the retail industry in Europe and the US. The twinning idea is a clever way of reaching and providing a ready made market for the Blue Sky village branded products. We have several districts very interested in this, Richmond & Liverpool in the UK, and in the USA Little Rock, Arkansas. All three will be twinned with the first pilot Village in Sri Lanka.
BLUE SKY VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT ROAD MAP:
- Develop complete masterplan and unit drawings for homes, workshop, guest quarters centre, clinic and school;
- Develop Business Plan for the Village, including identification of products to be made from own anchor farm, out-growers supplies as well as non-farm products for both local and export markets;
- Concurrently, continue shareholder mobilisation and fundraising efforts to ensur available for launch of first village.
- Submit masterplan and business plan to partner local authority for review and approval
- Upon approval, register Blue Sky Village Enterprise and engage contractors construction,
- Concurrent with the launch of construction, initiate procurement process for mac products to be made at the village.
- Initiate screening for the first group of village residents in collaboration with the partner local authority
- Once residents have been identified, select the first group to work in the produc their training ahead of arrival of equipment.
- Select those with handcraft skills and begin their training ahead of completion of and shops.
- Prepare and produce first promotion materials for the village for global marketing
- Current projections are to get the village operational within 12 months.
Potential Sites:
