Salman, Jacqueline visit war-torn village in Sri Lanka

Colombo: Bollywood star Salman Khan accompanied by Sri Lankan beauty queen Jacqueline Fernandez visited a project site to build homes for the people displaced by the three-decade long civil war. The 43-year-old actor, who is participating in the IIFA weekend said, "Many people lost their lives or have been displaced due to war and constructing 100 homes is a commendable and a good start."

The construction of the homes in the village of Ja`ela is part of the IIFA`s Charity initiative to rehabilitate those affected by war in the country. Salman said he identified with the aims of the initiative and had agreed to become the brand ambassador of the IIFA charity initiative because it works towards building a stronger community. "I am glad that IIFA is standing by this worthy project. I hope that this first step taken by IIFA will further motivate others to sign up and contribute to this project to build a 100 homes and put a roof on the heads of those who desperately require it," he said about `Habitat for Humanity`, an organisation initiated by former US president Jimmy Carter. As a symbol of solidarity with the Sri Lankan people, IIFA in partnership with the organisation will adopt and rebuild the village of Ja`ela. "The building of homes here is a symbolic gesture of contributing to the host country of Sri lanka and spreading the message of IIFA-one people, one world," Sabbas Joseph, director of Wizcraft, organisers of IIFA, said. PTI