your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Christine Muttiah
Donor
When we met Ishara, she was sitting cross-legged on the floor of her small home, stitching a bag with careful, tired hands. At just 34, she has already carried more loss than most—her husband’s passing left her alone to raise three young children. Now, every day is a quiet fight to keep food on the table and dreams alive.
Her youngest clung to her side, making it nearly impossible to take work outside the home. So Ishara tries to earn what she can by making bags, but without enough funds to grow her business, the orders are small and the income even smaller. Still, her eyes soften whenever she speaks of her children’s education—because no matter how heavy the struggle, she refuses to let their future slip away.
We’ve captured their voice so you can hear their story.
Can you tell me a few details about yourself?
My name is W.M. Ishara Sewwandhi Weerasekara. My husband passed away one and a half years ago due to high blood pressure. I have three children: my oldest is a daughter, 13 years old; my second child, a son, is 10 years old; and my youngest son is just 3 years old. We live on Galewala Road, Galnewa(Village Name).
What are you currently doing?
I am now earning an income from sewing and producing cartoon bags. This work is helping me support my family.
Did you start making cartoon bags before being involved with Palmera, or did it begin later?
I initially started making them on a very small scale. However, the Palmera project supported me immensely. They provided significant assistance to purchase materials for making the bags and guided me toward success – trainings and a lot of support.
Can you please share how the schooling of your children is going?
My oldest daughter passed the scholarship exam (Grade 5 exam). (note – this is quite difficult for children especially in rural contexts and provided children with access to better schools and in some instances one off funding support). My second son also faced the scholarship exams this time. My youngest, being only 3 years old, is still staying at home with me.
How has the Palmera project benefited you?
Initially, I received dry rations. Then I received seed packs. Later, they helped me purchase materials for my small bag business. They Also gave school bags and shoes for my children.
Because of These supports, have you seen any changes in your life? What do you think?
Yes, Before, I didn’t have a steady job. I was making bags on a very small scale, and it was a real struggle to raise my three children, educate them, and provide them with meals. The income from my business wasn’t enough to cover our daily expenses, and I couldn’t reinvest in my business All the income I earned was spent on household needs, But after Palmera stepped in, they helped me stabilize and expand my bag production. That has been a big support to me.
Ishara, What are your plans for the future with the support you’ve received from Palmera?
For my bag production, I am planning to purchase another sewing machine. That is my next step toward expanding the business and making it more efficient. Additionally, my top priority is my children’s education.
Note: We provide business planning and business literacy so that they can continue to grow and manage their businesses.
Sir Christine has supported you. What would you like to say to her?
I am truly grateful to him from the bottom of my heart for helping vulnerable people like us. May he receive more blessings, merits, strength and success in his life. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you.
Thank you so much.
Please note for many beneficiaries sharing in written form is not easy. We sit with these men and women to support them to share their story and have added context so you can weave together what you have made possible.
My name is W. M. Ishara Sewwandi Wijesekara. I am a mother of three children.
(Ishara is a single mother whose husband passed away due to heart failure)
During the earlier period of my life, I experienced many financial and other difficulties. At that time, the Palmera Village Savings Group was set up in our village. After speaking with the people involved, I joined the project.
(At the time we met Ishara, her family was struggling with deep poverty and loneliness following her husband’s death. With yours and Palmera’s support, she found the strength to save her own money and build a livelihood, helping her family recover and rebuild their lives.)
There they taught us that we must all have a purpose and goals for our lives. So with one of the Palmera officials there, I. created my dream goals, a family development plan. And I started saving and working according to that plan. And suddenly I realized I have started living (and not surviving anymore). And slowly my income grew and my life changed.
(Palmera established the village bank in her village to develop financial literacy, a place to save and revolve their savings as loans to reduce their debt from predatory lenders. Through the village bank, people come together each week to talk, to share what is going on and support each other. This is a foundation for change. Because change happens in community and that is exactly what these structures support.)
Because of this livelihood, I am now able to lead a better life. And I am happy. Now I have become a strong woman no one can stop. A woman that carries no sorrow, but joy.
Because of Palmera, I also learned how to manage the income I earn and I succeeded in life. Today I am a good entrepreneur. I have a few businesses of my own.
- Stitching school bags and soft toys
- Baking and selling cupcakes
- Serving as an educator of stitching bags and making cupcakes at the A.G.’s office
- I also work as a sales personnel in a private company
(The assets Ishara has built through the programme -her animals, her cultivation, her skills- belong entirely to her. When Palmera’s support ends, these income sources do not disappear. What she has built continues. This is what sustainable economic independence looks like.)
I am now involved with the savings group in my village. The women there are like me. I share the knowledge and experience I have gained with the other women in the group. And we continue to save.
(When a woman who once came for support becomes the person her neighbours seek out for guidance, the programme’s purpose has been fulfilled. Ishara is now a resource for her community, extending the reach of what you have made possible.)
My children could never attend tuition classes because I couldn’t afford it. But now, I am able to provide for my children’s education and meet their needs through the income from this livelihood. And they are doing really well. This makes me very happy.
(Through the programme, Ishara has been able to place her children’s education at the centre of her household planning. When a mother can pay school fees without crisis or borrowing, children stay in school. And with that, the path forward for the next generation begins to open.)
My economic situation is improving day by day, and I no longer have to borrow money as I did before, going from one person to another, just to send my kids to school. Now I have money with me. My monthly income is now approximately Rs. 80,000.
It took me a lot of suffering to finally get here, but I am determined not to look at my past anymore, but to learn from it and look to the future.
I am very grateful to Palmera and to Christine who supported me and guided me.
Thank you.
Ishara
This is our final letter from Ishara. The programme is complete. And what she has built will not end when our work does. She came to us with no savings, no reliable income, and no clear path forward. She leaves with all three. And with the skills, confidence, and community to keep building what she has started long after this programme ends. Thank you for making all this possible. We couldn’t have done it without your generosity.
