your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Shuzan
Donor
“Somedays we don’t have enough to buy food and we skip meals so that the children can keep going to school.”
Kirusalini lives in Nothern Sri Lanka’s Mullaithivu with her husband Murugeshkumar and their two children, a boy and a girl. Their little daughter is not getting enough food and now needs medical attention. Murugeshkumar has ongoing kidney disease and has to go to the hospital every month for treatment.
And the family is struggling to meet even the most basic needs. Kirusalini works hard as a daily wage labourer, but the work is not steady and the income is very small. Some days they don’t have enough food for the children, and paying for medicine or school is near impossible. She worries every day about how to give her children enough food and keep them healthy so that she can send them to school.
Both children go to school, and Kirusalini tries to make sure they have their books and what they need, but buying even these things is hard. She has to carefully stretch what little money they get, and sometimes the family has to skip meals or go without something they need.
But Kirusalini makes sure they don’t stop going to school, giving them to eat what they can, and keeping them as healthy as possible. She and her husband manage each day little by little, and find ways to give the children small comforts when they can.
Their hope lies in educating their son and daughter so that they can have a better future and live a life better than their childhood.
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 Kirusalini Mureshkumar and I live in a village called Ilangopuram in the North of Sri Lanka. I live with my son, M. Thuvaragan, who is twelve years old, and my daughter, Theshna, who is four years old.
Before Palmera came to our village, my family was living in very deep poverty. We did not have a safe house and were living in a small hut. My husband has asthma, so he cannot work. Life was so difficult that on some days, we did not even have enough food to eat. I did not have any interest or knowledge about how to save money, because i thought it was beyond me
(At the time we met Kirusalini, her family was struggling with deep poverty. 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 Palmera team visited my home, they spoke to me about the village savings group activities. The Palmera team was very kind and supportive, someone I could talk to about my work and my struggles. I joined the village savings group and started by saving 50 LKR (Approx $0.20 AUD) every week.
(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).
(Later) one day, my daughter got very sick and I had to take her to the hospital. I was able to take a loan of 5,000 LKR (Approx $23 AUD) from my own savings. Before this, I always had to borrow from neighbors for such needs, but this time I used my own money. It made me so happy to not have to beg others for help, and I decided I would never stop my savings. Now, I have 19,000 LKR (Approx $85 AUD) in my savings.
At that time, Palmera supported us with dairy farming and gave me seeds for my fruit and vegetable cultivation, like okra, brinjal, long beans, chilies, pumpkin, and tomato. They also gave me training on how to look after the cow and the home garden. Now, with the income I make, I can build a proper permanent house.
(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.)
Additionally, Palmera supported me to buy 5 chickens for poultry farming for my 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.)
Now, my cow has given birth, I get milk every day, and 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 was praying for my daily needs, and now I can fulfill our daily needs. Before I didn’t have an income and I never knew if I would find work for the day, but now I can sell vegetables and eggs every day. I have a steady income of about 5,000 to 7,000 LKR (Approx $30 AUD) a week from selling milk and vegetables. We even sell our products together with other women in the village savings group to get a better price. With this money, I can meet my children’s needs and I don’t have to take loans from outsiders anymore. Now, I can make decisions boldly for my family on my own.
I went to the temple one day, and some women there who had noticed the difference in my life asked me how they could join the Palmera village savings bank. I advised them about it and shared my experience. We are even able to know the market value of each item through this group.
In the future, I want to develop my dairy farm, fruit and vegetable cultivation, and poultry farming as well. I also plan to finish my house construction.
I want to say a big thank you to Shuzan 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 live a very long and healthy life with many blessings.
Thank you,
Yours sincerely,
Kirusalini Mureshkumar
Our work continues with Kirusalini. 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.
