your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Niroshana Navendra
Donor
When we met Sanila, her husband had already left. She couldn’t go into the details — her voice just shook and she just said he was gone and not coming back.. Since then, she’s been doing everything on her own: raising her little boy and looking after her grandmother, who’s old and can’t really move around much anymore.
It’s just the three of them. Both Sanila and her grandmother have epilepsy, so some days are harder than others. When we visited, Sanila looked tired — really tired. You could see she wasn’t feeling well, but she still got up to make us tea, still asked if we’d eaten, still managed a small smile. She was holding everything together in that quiet way so many women do, even when they’re barely holding on themselves.
They don’t have a steady income. They get a small welfare payment and make a bit of money from a few coconut trees in the yard. Some days that’s enough. Some days it’s not. But they keep going. Sanila said she doesn’t really think about tomorrow anymore — she just tries to make it through the day, one thing at a time.
She didn’t cry when she spoke. She didn’t complain. But you could feel the heaviness in her words — like someone who’s been carrying more than anyone should have to, for a very long time.
We’ve captured their voice so you can hear their story.
My name is Sanila. My husband left me in 2016 when my child was still in the womb. I lived with my grandmother, who also suffers from illness. I take care of her. I have a son, and it has been very hard for us to manage. No one came to see us.
I have epilepsy, high blood pressure, and joint pain. Sometimes, I suddenly faint. When that happens, my son or my grandmother takes care of me. There were times when we couldn’t even afford to eat two meals a day. The Palmera team came and provided us with food supplies for six months. They ensured we had three meals a day during that time.
(Palmera provides immediate food relief to families, like Sanila who when we meet them and their children are not eating three times a day. While our goal is to eventually lift them to stand on their own two feet, it is critical we provide them with immediate relief as well so they are able to work towards that slowly)
They also encouraged me to join the Women’s village Bank in our village, which was established by Palmera. They advised us to start fruit and vegetable cultivation.
(For food security Palmera supports women to establish their own home garden, its starts with what they have and then builds on their knowledge – training to overcome pests, access to seeds, which is increasingly difficult, and knowledge to ensure a wide range of vegetables are grown for child nutrition).
Before this, I had no money. But now slowly I started growing eggplant, chili, and tomatoes. When they grew, we used them for our own food needs. We sold the excess and saved 20 to 30LKR (approx $0.15 AUD) in our Palmera village bank. Before, I had nothing. Now, through my fruit and vegetable cultivation. I have been able to start saving money. I never had savings in the bank before. Before, we were eating only sambol and rice. Now, with our fruit and vegetable cultivation, we harvest fresh vegetables every day for our meals. This has brought us great happiness.
(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, to support each other. This is the foundation for change because change happens in community and that is exactly what these structures support)
I wanted to raise chicken, so I requested support from Palmera. They supported me to build a chicken coop for me. I hope to raise 100-150 chickens in the future.
(Once food security is established we will start with the first livelihood. We have to move from the capacity of the family, their skills and what can happen in the village with all the other challenges they face. From this, confidence is gained and stronger income sources can be added)
Sister, the family named Niroshana Navendra has helped you. Do you like to say anything to them?
Thank you very much for this help. We pray to God that you and your family stay well. We wish you a hundred years of good health. I will never forget the help you have given me until the day I die.
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 Sanila. I live in the village of Valluvarpuram. I have one son; he is 7 years old. My husband left me when my child was only one year old. My mother also lives with me. My mother has seizures. She also has high blood pressure and diabetes. She goes to the clinic at the hospital. She is 81 years old. I am the one who takes care of her.
Before, our income was not enough even for our daily food needs. Before Palmera came to the village, my family and I were in a state of extreme poverty. We were in a situation where we couldn’t even manage our daily food needs. On some days, because there was no food, we could not eat.
(At the time we met Sanila, her family was struggling with the deep poverty and loneliness that followed her husband leaving them. With yours and Palmera’s support, she found the strength to save her own money and start a business, helping her family recover and rebuild their lives.)
It was at this time that the Palmera’s staff met us and had a discussion. I was able to discuss my state of poverty and the difficulties I faced for my daily food needs with them with a full heart. It is noteworthy that their kind and supportive words were a crutch for me.
Taking our poverty into consideration, they gave us emergency food parcels in stages for our benefit. With this, we ate until our stomachs were full. A million, million thanks to the hearts that gave us food when we had none and satisfied our hunger.
They taught me about not depending on others for small help by joining a village savings group. I listened to that, and from that day, I embraced it and started to save as much as I could afterwards. It is a happy thing that my savings from last year are 18,310 rupees.
(Palmera established the village bank in his 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.)
Within these six months, we were given a plan to engage in livelihoods that could increase our income. So first we started a home garden and produced our own vegetables for our daily food needs, and we ate nutritious and balanced meals three times a day. After taking the vegetables from the home garden for our food needs, I sold the rest to the neighbours and started to save that money.
Next, in order to raise my income to a permanent income, I decided to start a business. And I chose the chicken rearing business for myself. For choosing the chicken rearing business, they helped by giving me a chicken coop and chickens. From this, per month, I earn an income of 12,000/- to 15,000/-. I earn this by selling the eggs from the chickens and by hatching and selling the chicks. We also use the eggs for our own food needs.
(The assets Sanila 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 express my heartfelt thanks to Niroshana and your family on behalf of my family to you that provided this help to me and our family. I bow my head and express my thanks and I pray to God that you and your family may live a long life.
Thank you,
Sanila
This is our final letter from Sanila. 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.
