your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Kavi & Shehan Selva Jay
Donor
When we met Santhirasekar and his family, their quiet resilience was clear despite the many challenges they face every day.
There are four members in the family— Santhirasekar, his wife, and their two children. Life has been a constant struggle for them. Santhirasekar was seriously injured in a road accident and is no longer able to do heavy work, which has limited their ability to earn a steady income. His wife lives with hypothyroidism, a condition that affects her energy and well-being daily, making it difficult for her to contribute much physically.
Their eldest daughter is also struggling. She suffers from a vitamin deficiency, which leaves her feeling weak and inactive, making it hard for her to keep up with schoolwork and other activities that children her age enjoy.
The family owns half an acre of land, but it remains unfenced, leaving it vulnerable and underused. Their home garden is unfinished, and water comes only from mud wells that dry up during the harsh summer months, creating even more difficulties for the family.
Despite these hardships, Santhirasekar and his family have hope. They have land suitable for goat rearing—a simple livelihood that could offer a steady source of income and help them improve their situation. With the right support to start goat farming, they could take important steps toward economic stability and a better future for their children.
We’ve captured their voice so you can hear their story.
We are very happy. We are very happy because of Palmera.
(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).
Palmera started a village bank. When I joined it, they asked me what kind of help I needed. They said if we got the right help, we could improve our lives. They asked if we were raising goats, cows, chickens, or other animals. I said we were raising goats. They said they would help us with goat farming. They came to see us and helped us build a goat shed. They gave us money to build the goat shed. They came once a week to check if we were doing it properly. They also gave us training on how to build the goat shed. They gave us money to buy goats, and we bought goats.
Now, we are happily raising goats and happy with them. We have named them Pattu, Rasathi, Rani, Seetha, and Raja, They became our family now. We take care of them just like we take care of our children. They are like our children to us. We play with them happily and enjoy it. All my children are also happy to play with them.
Palmera gave us training on goat farming — how to raise goats, what to do if they get sick, and more. So through Palmera, we take care of the goats. If the goats get sick, we tell them, and they come to help us. We are getting the best services through Palmera.
What is your family future goal?
We are doing farming, raising goats, and chickens. As a mother, I believe we will get more income; it will help my children and pay for their education as well.
This family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to the donor of Palmera, Kavi and Shehan Selva Jay from Australia, who support them.
Thank you very much for helping us.
