your family update

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.

To my dear Anuthya,

Are you well? I pray to God for you to live well. My name is Subramaniam Thenitha. I live in Kilinochchi. I live with my husband and three children. My eldest daughter is 18 years old. My other daughter is 14 years old and is studying in Grade 09. My next daughter is 9 years old and is studying in Grade 04. My husband does daily wage labour. We are all living happily. We thank you for the support you provided last year.

Before I joined my village savings group, I had not saved anything at all. I would spend all the money my husband brought home from work. Afterwards, if I had no money, I would ask relatives and neighbours. They would not understand my situation. Sometimes they would not give and help. At those times, it would be difficult for me. Time passed just like that.

(At the time we met Thenitha, her family was struggling with the deep poverty. 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.)

During the time I was living like that, I joined a village savings group named Murugan, which is near my house. There were 15 members in our group. We saved 100/- each 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.)

In our self-help group, there is no president or secretary. So that everyone develops leadership qualities, each person takes turns leading weekly on a rotational basis, starting the meeting and successfully seeing it through in an excellent manner. When my turn came, I prepared myself and carried out my duties. Through that, I gained a good reputation, as shown by my interactions at my child’s school and with government officials. Currently, my savings are approximately 25,000/-. Seeing this, my husband was very happy and also praised me.

At the beginning of this year, I covered my children’s educational needs and my daughter’s medical needs using my savings. This is how I fulfilled the school needs. This was my first time. Also, during the flood disaster that occurred last year, my husband could not get work. Therefore, I was able to manage the daily needs of the house and food needs using this savings money. Now, I am saving more than I saved before. I have developed the confidence that our group will lend a hand to fulfil my daily needs.

While I was living like this, through this project, they helped us with a home garden and with raising chickens. This was very useful.

(For food security, Palmera supports women to establish home gardens and small poultry farming. This is becoming more challenging with wild monkeys, limited access to seeds, and increasing pests due to changing climate. Because of these challenges, many do not engage in home gardening and poultry. Through your support, we are changing that, helping families grow their own food and earn an income from what they produce.)

At this time, I want to tell you about an important incident that connects us to the group. That is, in the beginning, the attendance of members at the weekly meetings was inconsistent, fluctuating up and down. Later, when the group celebrated its first anniversary, it gave prizes to the members who attended. In addition, those who had repaid their loans and saved properly were also honoured. I also received a prize in that. When this event was celebrated, the group members gained more trust in the group.

Not only that, but a uniform subscription fee is collected from all members every month to cover small expenses. In December 2022, due to continuous rain, it was very difficult for the members (that is, for the families who could not go for daily wage labour). So, all the members in the group discussed and, using a certain amount from the subscription money, bought items like rice, flour, sugar, soap, and tea, packed them into parcels, and distributed them to everyone. This event brought great happiness among all the members.

As our group grew like this, we selected two members from our group to go monthly to the Palmera Cluster meetings, participate in the discussions held there, and properly complete the work given to our group by our cluster, inform the group about it, and we have carried this out excellently for the benefit of our group.

After that, our members also had a drinking water problem. We informed the cluster about it, and our group members worked together to solve the drinking water problem. For this, the group members were thankful.

I plant crops in the home garden, prepare and use organic fertilizers, and have been producing crops. The training they gave has not left me; I continue to use it. I continue to plant and produce crops like chilli, cassava, long beans, and types of greens. In this way, we not only add healthy food and vegetables to our diet, but I also sell the excess vegetables at the nearby market and earn an income. Because of this, my family was also happy.

They are also involved in poultry farming. We have gone beyond that and now hatch chicks, and I have approximately more than 50 chickens. I have been using its eggs as food for our family and selling the excess eggs.

Currently, through our group, as a business, I am producing chilli and selling it to the shop. I am continuing to do this without giving up. Through that, I get an income. I am still making savings from that income.

Thank you. The support you gave was supportive of our family’s growth and the family’s change and advancement. I am happy to thank you for choosing our family. We all pray to God every day for you and your family to live happily.

Thank you,

Thenitha

Our work continues with Thenitha. 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.