your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
“Some days we don’t have enough to eat.”
Amutha is 44 and lives in Navatkadu, in the East of Sri Lanka, with her husband, 13-year-old daughter, and 72-year-old mother.
Her husband works in a mill as a daily wage worker. Some days he earns a little more, some days less, but most of the time it’s not enough for the family. Amutha stays at home and looks after everything.
They manage by taking food on credit from the shop. When money comes in, they pay it back, and then borrow again. She said this is how they live now, and the debt keeps increasing.
Even now, there are days when the income doesn’t cover their needs. So, she borrows and manages with what they have.
She also shared about her younger days. There were times they didn’t eat at all. Her father was a tailor, but the income was not enough. She and her siblings would go out and collect grass to sell and somehow manage to eat something.
She couldn’t continue school because there were no proper records. She went for a short time, but then had to stopped.
Now she keeps telling her daughter to study. Her child is in Grade 8, and she wants her to complete her schooling. Even when there are class fees, Amutha tries hard to find a way to settle it so her child can finish school.
They live in a small house that is not properly built. There is no electricity. They pay for water, but building a proper house is not possible with their income right now.
She says she just wants to live without debt and without worrying. She wants her child to complete finish school and have a better life than this.