Tackling Money Woes and Trauma in Sri Lanka
11 December 2006
It has been a turbulent couple of years for husband and wife Dayananda and Lakma. It’s hard to imagine today, as they sit smiling at their thriving roadside food stall, the smell of corn and coconut milk in the air.
Just five days after Lakma gave birth to their first child, the tsunami struck. Their home and family were spared, but the bakery near Hambantota where Dayananda worked was destroyed. The ensuing financial problems threatened to tear the young family apart.
“We had serious problems at home,” Lakma explains. “We had no water or electricity. In the evenings we sat in the dark, as we couldn’t afford kerosene. We were indebted to neighbors and family. I thought I would have to leave to work for strangers abroad. I didn’t want to leave my baby, but I thought I was going to have to. There seemed to be no help anywhere.”
As their frustrations grew, so did the arguments. “When you reach a certain point, you struggle to discuss your problems. We would just shout at each other,” said Dayananda.
Hearing of their situation, K.G Ajith, a local psychosocial counsellor trained by Oxfam partner IWTHI Trust, came to see them.
“I could share all my frustrations with him, and he could see how we were living. He suggested supporting us to set up a small shop. We were so lucky to get this help,” Lakma says. “I got a small loan from the IWTHI Trust, and we started to build a place to trade from. We’ve been taught about budgeting and saving and how to do our business accounts.”
The business has grown quickly, and they are able to save money every week, with the added advantage that they can work from home and look after their child. “It will take a year to pay off our debts, but interest in our business is growing. We plan to open a proper shop as well as this food stall, and we’ll have a tearoom alongside.”
Pausing, she adds, “I used to get angry very easily, but now it rarely happens. If it wasn’t for the help from our counsellor, I would be abroad now, away from my family.”
December 2006
