CASE STUDY

I am the mother of 4 children. My husband, Siripala is a farmer. The four of us live in a small one-room hut, we built at the foot of a hill. Although we faced immense hardships and often managed with 1 meal per day, we were united.

We had grown tea, in a half-acre plot. That was our only means of livelihood. We plucked about 10 Kilos per week and so, 40 kilos per month, which brought us Rs.700/- in a month.

One day a lady approached us and informed us of a women’s Organization, which would help people like us. Soon we had formed a group with 5 other neighbours and were saving Rs.10/- every week.

In order to find this money, to be put aside, I began growing small plots of vegetables.
Siripala, worked as a carpenter, while farming. But as he could only find work off and on, he helped me with my vegetable farm.

I sold my vegetables in the village fair. I never forgot to take some bundles of sandal wood leaves, on these trips, as I had found a permanent buyer for it too!

The beetle leaves I had grown brought me Rs.150/-, which I multiplied ten-fold at a Raffle Draw-where a group throws in money and each member receives the entire sum, one at a time-the order being decided by the number he draws.

I reimbursed this Rs.1500/- to the group fund, and repaid my debts.

There are days when I have no means of contributing to the group fund, but this doesn’t keep me away. Whenever possible, I take some of my vegetables to our meetings and other members buy them, putting in my share of money, in return.

We gradually strengthened our group and began to flourish.

I recall the day that the balance money of Rs.3700/- of our group was in my care. My young son came up to me and cajoled “Mother, you have a lot of money! You always have money for the group, but you never buy us anything! Can’t we buy a T.V set?”
His plea moved me and I borrowed Rs1700/- from the group and bought him a small Black and White T.V. set, through an easy payment system.

Around 1999, we established a consolidated fund. When we learnt that credit could be taken to start fixed income generating projects, my husband and I, restructured our plots, and grew more profitable kinds of tea and vegetables. We worked hard ,with the help of my sisters. Gradually our income increased and by 2004 our monthly income from tea alone is Rs.1000/-.

Ever since I utilized the credit for our cultivation, it is Siripala’s wish that I run the project. He never intervenes in the decision-making, but shares the work with me.

From laying the foundation, to the completion of a spacious ,well-equipped house that we own today, was done with the money we borrowed from this consolidated fund.
Due to our stable monthly income, we never had a problem of repaying our debts and the total sum we borrowed would come to Rs.75,000/-, which we borrowed in stages.
While we spent on the house, we never had to forgo any daily expenditure, such as the children’s education, clothes or food. It is the social mobiliser, who encouraged and educated us to form a small group that deserves all merit for this feat.

Other organizations and credit schemes, have such cumbersome procedures, and never deliver on time. We are pushed around and end up spending for our efforts, in vain.
We no longer need to depend on these banks and lenders, as we have our very own support system.

It was Siripala’s dream to buy a carpentry machine and now his wish is fulfilled. Now that too has become yet another means of stable income for my family.
In a record 2 months, he earned Rs10,000/- once!

My elder daughter is studying for her (G.C.E) Advanced Level Exam, which demands around Rs.1500/- per month. Whenever our income fails to meet our children’s needs, we can always turn to our group, and as there is a strong trust and understanding between each of us, we are never refused.

When Siripala cannot find work, he borrows money from me. He appreciates the fact that I earn the most in our family, and respects me for it.

Amidst all our hardships, now we have a reason to work hard and not stay idle ,till something is delivered to us. My daughter is sometimes embarrassed that I walk in the town selling my vegetables, but I tell her that “I’m not ashamed to sell the fruits of my hard labour; People do things, one should be embarrassed about, but this is not one of them!”

I cannot say in words how indebted we are to this group and the Kanth Shakthi Organization. It is with a sense of pride and happiness that I take part in this program and will do all in my power to secure its future, the future of my family and other poor families like mine.

Elanda
08/12/04

CASE STUDY

I used to think that married life would be blissful. It was with fond hopes and dreams that I wed Sajith and moved in to his ancestral home.

Sajith had to work away from home and the growing expenditure of other family members in his house, became a burden he had to bear.

As time went by, some of my in-laws began to ill-treat me and that was when Sajith and I decided to build a small room detached from the house and move out.
That was in the 1970’s.

Due to heavy drinking Sajith fell ill. Because of a prolonged spell of hospitalization, he lost his job.

By then, I had a daughter and son in school and a younger child, who was at home.
I learnt that family life was not as rosy as I had pictured it, when I left home as a 16 year old bride.

I had no choice but to pluck tea, in nearby tea estates, to feed my children.
This is when a social mobilizing agent/worker from The Kantha Shakthi Organization, met me. On her journey from house to house, she educated me on the benefits of empowering ourselves by joining a small group. I followed her advice.
Sajith’s ailing father distributed the ancestral land among his children, and in our share we began growing Tea and spices, with the money borrowed through our newfound group fund.

In 2002 we joined the Kantha Shakthi consolidated banking scheme and began working on a house.

Our eldest son got a job in the city and our daughters were married and settled on their own. Our youngest boy quit school and started working, where he got in with the wrong crowd and was addicted to drugs and cigarettes. We bought him a piece of land to work on, from Sajith’s Employees Trust Fund, to keep him from harm.

We gradually built up our house while also diversifying our small-scale cultivations, with the credit we received.

I must give all credit to the Kantha Shakthi Organization, for helping us to pick-up the pieces of our broken lives. The two social mobilizing agents are extremely helpful and yet firm about rules and regulations. I really admire the way they function.

We are now genuinely happy, as we have completed our house and receive a stable income. My husband works in the fields and my son and I help him.

“The representatives of Kantha Shakthi Organization will be surprised to see our cultivation now-it looks so nice!”

I believe in this program and will always support it and fight for it.

Elanda
08/12/04

CHILDREN'S CASE STUDY - 1

My name is Kosalle Madhurangika. I have two elder sisters and younger brother. I and my little brother were taken care of by my two elder sisters because my mother and father had to work to strengthen our economy.

When I was 3 years old my father fell ill and my uncle’s fought with my mother to chase her out of the village. They some how managed to confiscate the paddy fields that we owned. On top of that my grand father fell ill and passed away during the same time. My mother ran a small grocery shop but she lost that as well and after her father expired there was no one to care for us. I still remember getting together with my sisters and picking coconuts that have fallen on the ground to make porridge for my ill father. My father was ill for that long that my mother ran out of money and came to a situation where she could not even feed us.

Some how my mother managed to send my sisters to school; she went to work in the stores and managed an income. Due to the fights with her in-laws my mother even spent some time alone in the paddy fields and maintained them. After some time my father slowly recovered, his illness was due to the alcohol that he consumed. He got ill because of alcohol and we lost our land.

It was difficult for us to get food also those days and some times me and my brother would ask for things and cry. My mother some how obliged us even through all the difficulties.

When I was in the sixth grade I took part in oratory competitions and I was able to progress from provincial level to district level and I even got a chance to enter in to the all Island level. The joy I felt when I got to compete at the all Island level is immeasurable. I even won a prize at the all Island level.

My mother is the person who prepares me for all the competitions but I know how difficult it is for her especially since there are so many members in my family. My two elder sisters completed their Advance level and my mother had to spend a lot on them. Our family’s economy can not run solely on the earnings of the shop so we all maintain little vegetable plots. My sisters and I maintain it after we get home from school and we get to keep the money we earn from the produce and save some in our CDB. It is that money we use to buy school equipment for ourselves.

Our school is a very small school with very basic facilities. I’d like to take part in all kinds of sports but our school doesn’t have a play ground, up until very recently we didn’t even have a teacher for English. Although I would love to learn English I feel that my English knowledge is very average but my mother doesn’t have money to send me to a class.

I love the Kantha Shakthi Children’s Forum and the CDB no one has given us the strength that it has given. It has enabled us to deposit the money we earn from selling our vegetables to our own bank account in the CDB. Also we were trained in organic farming so that we were able to make a good produce of vegetables.

CHILDREN'S CASE STUDY - 2

My name is Nalaka and I am from the village of Panana. My mother is a member of a small group maintained by the Kantha Shakthi Organisation. That is how I got to know of the children’s groups formed by them.

I also joined the children’s group and found that it was very helpful to the children. Children who were very backward performed and sang songs, held the children’s fair and put money in bank books from the amount gained from selling fruits and vegetables in the fair.

I go to the school in Damahana and it is very difficult for me to get t school because the road from where I live to the school is very badly damaged. It is very difficult for me to get to my school because of this and there is only one bus that goes in that road. On the days that the bus is not there I have to walk around 5 Km to get to another road from where we can get a bus.

One day one of the Kantha Shakthi field staff told us that we can obtain advances from the CDB. My father does a very small job in Colombo and since my little sister is too small my mother could not do a job. I had always wanted to get a bicycle so I told my mother that I am going to take 1000 LKR advance from the CDB to invest in a bicycle and that the rest can be paid in instalments.

Some days I was unable to go to school because the bus was not there and I had to walk to the main road to get a bus and if that failed I had to come home. But because of the advance I got from the CDB I bought a bicycle and from then on I have been able to go to school with out a problem. I go to the main road by bicycle and I leave the bicycle at a shop and then take the bus from there to school. All my friends love my bicycle and take it on rides.

This was always a dream that I and my parents had but since we didn’t have the money we could not afford.

Story of Jayanthi

Allow me to relate a minute portion of my life story which begins on the 2nd of March 1962.

I want to extend a thousand thanks to Ruwani who made this possible. I wish to express my sincere ideas which have been kept inside from my childhood days.
Since I was a child, I was good in my studies as well as singing. I studied till the G.C.E Ordinary Levels. I had 5 brothers and we lost our father. I fondly remember my parent who went through a lot to feed us, educate us and put us on the right path. They had no money for me to pursue my higher studies. I was given in marriage after completing 17 years. I cried a lot that day. But after being scolded, I married a man who was uneducated and uncivilized.

In a house filled with his alcohol induced fighting I became a mother of six children. I was not able to bring them up properly and suffered psychologically, as they grew up amidst constant fighting and violence. Their education came to a halt. Still at a tender age, they were married one by one. The eldest son and daughter are married and my youngest daughter, who is six, is being brought up by my mothers, younger sister. The younger son attends school from home.

We still do not have the good fortune to stay dry as during the rainy season we suffer immensely due to the cadjan roof.

For someone like myself who was stuck inside a home with so many problems, it felt like a new beginning for me, when Hema, who lives nearby asked me to start work. I am thankful to her for rescuing me from my plight.

For myself, who had faced so much hardship, the obstacles and challenges of my first job was nothing! The training, guidance and knowledge I received as preparation for my job, helped me immensely to grow as a person.

The needs of a woman are many. It is because of Kantha Shakthi organization that I could wear a pair of gold ear rings. Reporting to work early morning, in a Sari can give one immense pleasure. I am happy when I work with society and have found that I have the confidence to speak before a gathering. It is now, that I realize my true self-worth. The times I have wanted to end my life, in the past were numerous. My patience has rewarded me now.

Today, I am proud of who I am, of being a leader to other women. My one objective is to build my home. Even one day before I die, if I can have a roof that won’t leak, watch Television, and listen to music......... I wish to put my entire energy in to my work for helping a poor woman to work as an officer of the village, I am forever thankful to the Kantha Shakthi and who trained me as Social Mobiliser.

I wind up my story with gratitude to all who helped me to become what I am, today especially the fair-shinned/foreign ladies.

I beg of you to excuse any mistakes I have made.

Prema Jayanthi
Social Mobiliser – Tangalle
2006-02-22

Story of Kusuma

I was left helpless and psychologically weak after I lost everything I owned to the tsunami which struck on 26th December 2004.

I did not have the knowledge to even handle the problems that cropped up in my home, leave aside helping society. As I had been restricted to the 4 walls of my home, I did not have the ability to approach society or address people due to fear and backwardness. Then, I did not now know how to live among them or win their confidence. I had no sense of how to move forward as I was mentally broken. It was then, that I joined the ‘Kantha Shakthi’ Organisation.

With the valuable guidance and information given by the ladies from Balangoda and our 3 Social Mobilisers, I joined small groups, began to save and gradually learnt how to move with people.

While my mental state improved through the mental health programs conducted by Dr. Keerthisinghe, the training sessions carried out by Mr. Jayamuni and Mr. Athula helped me overcome my backwardness. My hidden abilities have also been tapped and brought out now.

I am no longer fearful of accusations made by society. I how know that if I respond with patience, love and kindness, I can win them over. I have gained a good understanding of society.

I who was hiding in my home, thanks to the courage I received your organization am able to hold several posts in organization and face society with no fear.

I have come to understand that women have many responsibilities as well as rights. Through the organization I have gained knowledge strength and courage to carryout my duties and stand up for my rights.

What I gained from Kantha Shakthi organization, was a wind-fall gain did not expect in the latter part of my life. Therefore I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Rohini, Ruwani, who granted this service to our village, Ms. Jose of IWDA who is supporting the organization and all that have helped us like Mr. Nandasiri and the 3 Social Mobilisers.

Kusuma Siriwardane
Assistant Social Mobiliser – Tangalle
2006-02-20

Services of Kantha Shakthi Organisation during a year

When the tsunami devastation on the 26th of December 2004, had left us with no hope or aim in life, the Kantha Shakthi Organisation which came to our village Polhena and brought our women together, was a great strength to us who had fallen mentally and financially.

The work progresses uninterrupted through the small group meetings, made up of 5-10 neighboring women and through the Community Discussion Forums held once a month. At the small group meetings, held once a week, the membership fees and the funds given by companies are used for credit purposes with the knowledge and supervision of the female officers. For myself, being a woman managing a small business, this has proven to be of great help.

Business women like myself, were called together and given 2 day training on business management. From this I have learnt how to run a successful business venture, how to systematically keep records and calculate profit and loss etc and am at present running my business well.

We also greatly appreciate the opportunity given to us by the Kantha Shakthi Organisation to see Kandy, when we were taken on a excursion. This brought us much needed relief, relaxation and enjoyment to those of us who are trapped in our houses all day. I was fortunate to see places like the sacred temple of the tooth relic, for the first time.

Also, by participating in the programs conducted by psychiatric doctor Daya Rohana Athukorale, I was informed on how to live a successful life and family life.

Through the religious activities organized at the village temple and the sermon made by Rev. Dodampahala Rahula, in remembrance of all those who lost their lives and loved ones in the tsunami, a great peace of mind was brought to my entire family.

I consider myself fortunate, that I was able to take part in the Batik design course organized for our benefit. As I have both the talent and interest in dress making, I hope to use this new technique I learnt to bring in an additional income.

Thus, looking bach, the benefits I have gained because of the Kantha Shakthi Organisation, during the past year are numerous. The facilities and   opportunities many; Things learnt innumerable.

So, I believe that Kantha Shakthi Organisation which has brought unity between the women of our village, and strength tom all, must continue.  I wish them well in their future endeavours with deep gratitude in my heart.

K. G. Nalini
“Singithi” Small group
Polhena – Matara
2006-02-21