your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Suverniya
Donor
I want my children to grow up healthy, but we can’t always afford milk powder.
Jenani lives in Killinochi, in the Nothern peninsula of Sri Lanka, with her two small boys. Her husband left a while ago, so she is raising the boys all by herself.
They do not have a house of their own. Right now, they are staying in a small space at her uncle’s house. He lets them stay, but his own money is limited, so life there is not very stable. They share what little space they have, and Jenani has to make sure the boys are safe and comfortable.
Jenani doesn’t have a steady income. Some days it’s hard even to get enough food. She tries to manage with help from relatives and neighbours, but it’s not always enough. She worries most about giving her children healthy meals so they can grow up strong.
She wants her sons to have nutritious meals. But because she doesn’t have enough money for proper food, she tries to buy them fortified milk powder, whenever she can. But they can rarely afford it.
Her children are still quite little and need proper food as they grow. They also need medicine or a visit to the clinic sometimes, and Jenani has to figure out how to pay for it.
Even with all this, she focuses on her children. She wants them to go to school, learn, and grow healthy. She manages each day as best she can and keeps caring for them. Sponsorship would help Her dream is for her boys to have proper meals, medicine, and a steadier start to their lives as they grow and learn.
Please note for many women sharing in written form is not easy. We sit with 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 Jenani Karththeepan and I live in a village called Manikapuram in Sri Lanka’s North. I am living alone with my two children. One is named Rikash who is five, and the other is Nitharsan who is four. It has been three years since my husband left us. Before Palmera came to our village, my family was living in very deep hardship. I did not have any knowledge or interest in saving money, and I never had enough left over to save anyway.
(At the time we met Jenani, her family was struggling with the deep poverty and loneliness that followed her husband leaving them three years ago. With Palmera’s support, she found the strength to save her own money and start a business, helping her family recover and rebuild their lives.)
When the team from Palmera visited my home, they talked to me about village savings group activities. I felt I could share my heart with them about my struggles and how hard it was after my husband left. I joined the group and started by saving just 50 LKR (Approx $0.20 AUD). Later on, I realized that saving a little was not enough, so I started saving more from what I earned.
(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 women come together each week to talk, to share what is going on and support each other. This is the foundation for change because change happens in community and that is exactly what these structures support).
One day, my son got very sick and I had to take him to the hospital. Before this, I would always have to borrow money from relatives for such emergencies. But this time, I was able to take an emergency loan of 5,000 LKR (Approx $23 AUD) from my own savings. It made me feel happy to use my own money instead of begging others for help, and I decided then that I would never stop my savings. This is the first time I used my own money for my own family needs. Now I have 49,220 LKR (Approx $220 AUD) in my savings.
I wanted to share a few things with you, and I do not feel any shame in telling you these things. After my husband left me, life was very hard because we did not have a safe house and were living in a small temporary hut. Sometimes me and my children did not even have enough food to eat. Palmera supported us with dairy farming and growing fruits and vegetables. Palmera gave me plant seeds like okra, brinjal, long beans, chilies, and brinjal.
(For food security, Palmera helps women start home gardens and dairy farming with milk cows. This is becoming harder because of wild monkeys, trouble finding good seeds, and more pests caused by the changing climate. Because of these struggles, many families find it difficult to keep a garden or raise animals. Through your support, we are changing that, helping families grow their own healthy food and earn a steady income from selling their vegetables and milk.)
While I was doing my home garden and dairy farming, Palmera gave me training on how to look after the cow and the home garden. Now I can build a proper permanent house. Additionally, Palmera supported me with poultry farming for me to gain additional income.
Palmera helped me start raising chickens as a second way to earn money. This gives our family a steady income that we can count on, and it brings me so much hope and happiness for our future.
(For food security, Palmera supports women to establish a small poultry farm. This is becoming more challenging with increasing diseases due to changing climate. Because of these challenges, many do not engage in poultry. Through your support, we are changing that, helping families grow their own food and earn an income from what they produce.)
Now my cow has given birth, so I can get milk. I give milk to my children every day and sell the rest. I also pick fresh vegetables from my garden for our meals. Before, I never knew if I would find work for the day, but now I have a steady income from selling milk and vegetables. I earn about 10,000 to 12,000 LKR (Approx $54 AUD) per week.
We even sell our products together with other women in the group to get a better price. With this money, I can pay for my children’s schooling and still save some. We don’t have to take loans from outsiders anymore because I manage my family with my own earnings.
It is very hard for a woman alone to live in a village with children, as people often do not notice us. Before, my uncle used to make all the decisions for my family without asking me, Now, I can make decisions boldly for my family on my own.
When I went to the shop one day, two women asked me, “How do we join Palmera’s village savings bank?” and I spoke to them about the village savings group. I have good friends in our village savings group. I am very happy now.
In the future, I want to develop my dairy, fruit and vegetable cultivation, and poultry farming as well. I also plan to finish my house construction work.
I want to say a big thank you to Suverniya and your family for all the help you gave my family. Even though I have never seen you, I see you in the form of God because of your kindness. I pray to God that you and your family will have many blessings and lots of goodness.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Jenani Karththeepan
Our work continues with Jenani. She has begun the journey to stand on her own, but lasting change takes time. We will walk alongside her for one more year before letting go of her hand. It is this continued accompaniment that makes all the difference. And this is possible because of you. Thank you.
