your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
“We don’t want great comforts; just a house and living without debt is enough.”
Sivarani lives in Parthijane in the East of Sri Lanka with her two children, a nine-year-old, a two-year-old, and her husband. She stays home to take care of them, and her husband does daily wage work when he can. Some months he only works ten or fifteen days, and if it rains, there is no work. Sivarani goes to town three or four days a week for household work, so they can have food and to make sure the children can go to school.
They grow crops in their garden and have a few chickens. The crops and eggs help them eat and sometimes give them a little extra money. Most days, what they earn is just enough for rice, schoolbooks, notebooks, and stationery. Some days it is harder, and Sivarani has to plan carefully so the children have something to eat and before going to school.
When she first got married, life was really hard. Her husband drank a lot and fought with her. He would wander around without bringing home money for the family, and Sivarani had to find ways to feed the children. In the last three years, he has stopped drinking, and things are calmer now. Money is still tight, and they cannot build a proper house yet but things at home are better.
Sivarani works hard every week, manages the little money they have, and keeps the children in school. In the future, she hopes to build a simple house with two rooms, a hall, and a kitchen for her children. She wants them to study well, get good jobs, and grow up without worrying about food.