your family update
You Backed them and things began to change
Rohana Yoganathan
Donor
When we met Vijikala and her family, their determination was something you could feel before a word was even spoken. It was in the way they looked at their children, in the quiet strength that carried them through each day, and in the way they kept moving forward despite life placing obstacle after obstacle in their path.
There are six in the family—Vijikala, her husband, and their four children. All four are in school, trying to focus on their lessons while the weight of home struggles sits silently on their shoulders.
Her husband once worked inside a well, but one tragic day changed everything. He slipped, hitting his head hard on a piece of metal. The injury left him unable to stand in the sun for long or take on heavy labor. Even so, he pushes himself to do daily wage work whenever possible. But the few rupees he earns can never stretch far enough to feed six hungry mouths.
Vijikala, with five years of sewing experience, carries her own quiet dream—to use her skills to help her family stand taller. If she had a sewing machine of her own, she could work from home, earn a steady income, and ease the heavy load her husband carries
They live on a small quarter-acre of land, but without their own water supply, every drop they use—whether for drinking, cooking, or washing—must be fetched from a neighbor’s home. Their monthly income is just 12,000 LKR (approx $61 AUD), barely enough to scrape by.
And yet, in their eyes, there is no surrender. Only the hope that one day, their children will live a life free from this struggle—a life built on the sacrifices their parents make today.
We’ve captured their voice so you can hear their story.
How do you feel about your family life now?
I have seen some improvements in my life over these last six months. My daughter received a sewing machine and is now part of a village savings group, steadily growing her savings. I am also doing a fruit and vegetables cultivation, which has greatly benefited us. I am determined to make it even more efficient and expand it further. I will continue to do fruit and vegetables cultivation. I am using this to improve my life.
How is your family situation now?
My daughter is now engaged in a business (supported by Palmera) and I am also engaged in a business now (fruit and vegetables).
Progressing with a business supported by Palmera, and I am also advancing through self-employment with Palmera’s help. My husband is fully supporting me in this journey, and together, we are earning respect from everyone. My husband’s cooperation has been doubled.
Are you attending the village savings group?
(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).
Yes, I am attending to the village savings group. It has been a wonderful experience where we discuss various topics with other women, share our views, and learn things that we didn’t know before.
What do you think is the main reason for the changes that have taken place in your family recently?
Palmera established a village savings group, discussed, and given a livelihood. They held meetings for that. They provided training on how to do fruit and vegetables cultivation. Palmera taught us all the things that we did not know. Through that, we started doing fruit and vegetables cultivation. Earlier, we were not able to do fruit and vegetables cultivation with our 1/4 acre of land. But now there is a situation where we can do fruit and vegetables cultivation even on a small piece of land.
What is your future goal?
My future goal is to earn a profit from my sewing machine, along with the income from my fruit and vegetables cultivation. I also plan to expand my poultry farming and sell chickens and use the earnings to cover my children’s education expenses and future needs. This is my wish.
