The area consists of the administrative District of Nuwara Eliya, which is part of the Central Province. The total area of the District is 555 square miles and includes Nuwara Eliya, Hanguranketha, Ambagamuwa, Walapane and Kotmale A.G.A. Divisions.
Geographical
MENCAFEP’s area has a mountainous and steeply dissected hilly terrain with the highest peak of 8,128ft. The average rainfall varies from 220/300 inches. Temperature in the District is the coldest with an annual mean of 59 degrees F. The main forms of land use in the area are tea, paddy(rice), vegetables, tobacco, minor export crops, forestry and pasture.
Social Segments
Nearly 80% of the rural households in the District are below the official poverty line. Other welfare indices like literacy rate, school attendance, health services, infant mortality rate, and percentage of urban population employed show that Nuwara Eliya District compares very unfavourably with other Districts in Sri Lanka.
Families
For the mother with the disabled child especially for the family with the special needs/intellectually challenged child, the situation is poor, although with MENCAFEP’s interventions over the years, the situation, especially in Nuwara Eliya and its surrounding villages are slowly improving.
Ethnicities
MENCAFEP’s area represents all ethnic groups in country and the population estimate is over one million. The crude population density is 600 per square mile. Only about 5% of the population is urban, others live in villages and plantations. Nearly 50% of the population is Indian Tamils who are predominantly estate labourers.
