Pavement Project

Pavement Project is an initiative of Lifewords in partnership, with Viva Network. Reaching traumatized children all over the world, this project was first introduced to Sri Lanka in 2002 and became known as the Green Bag Project because of the `Big Green Bag’ that is used in bringing hope and healing to broken children’s lives.

Pavement Project’s `Big Green Bag’ was created to transform broken children who suffer all kinds of violence, trauma and abuse. It was designed by Child Care specialists with a high level of research and proof of the affectivity and impact it creates in the hearts of children at risk. Based around stories from the Bible, it is a psychological tool designed to help restore a child’s self worth. Children who are physically abused, sexually abused, poverty stricken, rejected or in some other way seriously afflicted need to be relieved of the trauma. Using interactive picture cards, games and Bible stories the child is helped to work through his/her past, in order to face the future. The material is available in 10 languages including Sinhala and Tamil.

The Pavement Project Resources has been tested in the Philippines, Brazil, India and also in Sri Lanka and has proven to be material that deeply helps the child at risk to come out of his traumatized state of mind and then be helped towards healing and restoration. In England it was declared in the House of Commons that this pack was among the most efficient in trauma therapeutic material.  To substantiate this there are significant testimonies of children turning from extremely negative situations to very promising heights of relief and restoration as the bags are being used by children’s workers who are equipped and trained to deal with the emotional and spiritual needs of children.

After the first training conducted by SGM in Sri Lanka in 2002, the NCEASL, primarily focusing on tsunami victims, sponsored by Action International partnered with Lifewords in conducting trainings in Colombo and Trincomalee in 2005. In 2006, with the appointment of a coordinator, the NCEASL took over the responsibility of the Implementation of the Pavement Project in Sri Lanka while Lifewords was responsible for the Production, Development, and Refinement of the Green Bag. The objective of this partnership is to train volunteer children workers, enabling them to use the bags to rescue children at risk and develop a personal ministry that enhances and contributes to the local church. The long term objective is to produce a project that is sustainable and has longevity so that this effective ministry tool can be used to impact and shape the lives of children at risk for many years to come.

With a training conducted in December 2006, the main objective being the training of the coordinator, there are at present 7 Pavement Project Workers, each using the Green Bag given to them after an intensive training of 5 days including practical sessions of counseling. Vision Casting Programs have been conducted in Colombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Kalutara and Negombo for churches and NGOs that are involved with children at risk and there has been a positive response for participation in this project.  

The NCEASL offers the opportunity to all children’s workers to:

1. Be a Partner:-
A desire & commitment to use the Pavement Project Resource

2. Be trained:-
In use of the Green Bag
In understanding the Healing Process

3. Be a Restorer & Builder