Karunawathi (42) and her
husband struggled to provide for their three children. They owned no land and
their poverty and vulnerability were exploited by owners of large cultivation
lands.
“They gave us their land
to cultivate and since these were mostly over grown with shrubs and bushes we
had to clear it ourselves. We had to bear all the expenses from clearing the
land to harvesting. The harvest was ours but it barely gave any profit after
all that we spent in preparing the land,” says Karunawathi.
“In slash and burn
cultivation the profit comes in the second year. Because the land is already
cleared, it saves time and money for the farmer. But the owners would not give
us the land for the second year. They cultivate it themselves. No landowner gives
a once cleared land. So we go in search of new land that needs clearing and
fall into the same vicious cycle,” she says. “It was a struggle,” says
Karunawathi, “Every day we worried about ways to provide for our children.
Sometimes we cut firewood and sold a bundle for 20 rupees (15 cents) to give
them one meal. But we never wanted to stop their schooling.”
“After World Vision
began work in our village and my children received sponsorship a big burden was
lifted off our shoulders. We didn’t have to worry about their schooling
anymore. They received sufficient school supplies every year,” she smiles.
“Then we received a
milking cow under the animal husbandry programme. It was a great blessing on
our economic situation. We have named her Raththi. It is because of this gift
we are able to stand on our feet now,” she says.
Through its economic
development programme World Vision has distributed milking cows to the poorest
of the poor families in Padhiyathalawa to support them with a home-based
income. Every family is requested to gift the first female calf to another
needy family in order to ensure the sustainability of the programme. [This is one component of the income generation programs, which I am privileged to be involved with, that is running in a number of other communities throughout Sri Lanka with great success.]
Today Karunawathi has
two cows and four male and female calves. She has already gifted the first
female calf from Raththi to a needy family. World Vision also linked them with
Milco – a government-owned company with a wide network of milk collection,
production and sales centres.
“With the income we
receive, we were able to build a new safe house for our family. We used to live
in a small thatched house that was the size of a play house. Because we have a
stable income at home, my husband is able to go out for work and he is working
in a government cultivation land now. He comes home once a month and I am able
to manage the things at home with Raththi’s help,” she smiles, “I’m not only
able to take care of my children, but I’m even able to save for their future.”
[Kathika: Newsletter of World Vision Sri Lanka]
