Executive Director of SLCDF
Tissa Wijetunga
Tissa Wijetunga, Graduate of University of Ceylon, Commonwealth Diploma holder, Coady Graduate leads the facilitation role of SLCDF and its network of partner organizations consisting over 4000 CBOs, more than 250 NGOs, 18 District Consortia of NGOs, NGO National Action Front, NGO Management Development Centre and Jak Development Foundation, covering 18 districts of Sri Lanka.
After finishing his higher education, he joined Mahaweli Development Board which was the largest Human Development Scheme implemented in South Asia and moved to Land Commissioner's Department and conducted research work to prepare settlement patterns, land reclamation work, planning of resettlement, village expansion and youth settlement schemes for the Mahaweli Development Scheme.
He has also worked seventeen years with National Youth Services Council which is the only state organization implementing youth development programmes in Sri Lanka. During this period, he performed different kinds of youth development activities for the youth such as leadership, skill development, entrepreneurship, sports, culture, recreation, youth employment programmes and developing and implementing youth rehabilitation programmes for those who were involved in 1988/1989 insurgencies.
In July 1992 he moved to NGO sector from Government service and joined Sri Lanka Canada Development Fund supported by Canadian Development International Agency (CIDA) under a bilateral agreement to build the capacities of local organizations and address poverty and inequity.
In March 2002, Sri Lanka Centre for Development Facilitation evolved as a non government voluntary organization being the offspring of Sri Lanka Canada Development Fund and Mr. Wijetunga continued the work in the new organization till December 2011 as Deputy Director. In December 2011 he assumed duties as Executive Director of the Sri Lanka Centre for Development Facilitation.