your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Sharanya Yoganathan
Donor
When we first met Niroginy, there was a quiet desperation in her eyes—a mother carrying the heavy burden of uncertainty for her family’s tomorrow. At 36, she struggles daily to provide for her husband, who works as a wage earner, and their three young children, all of whom attend school with hope in their hearts.
Their home offers little shelter from life’s storms—unsafe and fragile. Water is a constant worry; the small supply they have is far from clean, and every drop is precious.
Despite her tireless efforts, Niroginy’s family lives on the edge of survival. Food is scarce, school supplies are a luxury, and the future feels uncertain and fragile.
Yet, beneath the weight of hardship, there flickers a fragile hope—a longing to raise goats and build a more stable life. But without the means to start, this hope feels like a distant dream slipping further away each day.
Helping Niroginy begin goat rearing isn’t just about animals—it’s about giving her family a fighting chance, a lifeline to stability, and a hope that someday, her children won’t have to face the same struggles she does.
We’ve captured their voice so you can hear their story.
How is your life? Have there been any changes now? How do you feel? How do you feel compared to the beginning?
There have been very good changes. I am prouder now than I have been for so long. Because there is a major change in my life. I have an asset. I was just an ordinary family woman for so long. Now I have a business of my own in my hands, and I can continue to work depending on that business. Even if I take a loan when my child needs something, my income is such that I can repay it within six months. I am very happy about that.
My time is passing very quickly. In the beginning, I would just cook and think. I felt a lot of sickness because of that. But now I am spending my time thinking about taking care of the goat, giving water to the goat, feeding the goat, cleaning the shed, and giving medicine to the goat. So I am very happy.
(Palmera established a village bank in our community to develop financial literacy—a place where we could save and access loans to reduce our debt from predatory lenders).
You are involved in your village bank, aren’t you? What benefits have you received from that?
When I have a need, I don’t need to go to anyone else, I have my group members. If I tell them my need, they will give me 15,000 LKR or 20,000 LKR (approx $102 AUD). I am very respectful and self-confident that my group is there to help me without being a slave. That’s why I am very happy.
I took a loan from the village savings bank and took 15,000 LKR (approx $76 AUD) and planted groundnut. Then I cultivated white gram. I also harvested it. The groundnut has not been harvested yet. It is ready to be harvested. I will harvest the groundnut after this rainy season is over. I am also involved in chicken farming. I am raising 15-20 chickens. I get eggs. I am growing more and more. I am very satisfied.
What do you want your future to be like?
I also want to get the respect that my husband gets in my family. For that, I have to grow with all my strength through gardening, poultry farming, goat farming, etc. and stand equal to him in my society.
Saranya Yoganathan’s family helped you to be happy. Would you like to say something to them?
We express our gratitude to this family, who considered me as a human being among the millions of people and helped me. I also express my appreciation to them. I pray for them during our prayer times. I express my gratitude to them more than gratitude. Also, sister and brother, We pray to God that you too may live happily.
