Mrs. Rasa's story edited

EDITED - Lending a helping hand to a hard worker

Ms. Rasa Alatrees is from a very poor fisherman’s family in Periya Kallar. She didn’t go to school because her parents had no money. From the age of 13, the normal school going stage for other children of her age, Rasa began to assist her parents in their family trade of fishing.“ In the mornings I used to take my three brother to the near by school and wait outside the class room for him. It was at this time that I learnt to read and write by observing the class” says Rasa.

At the age of 17 she married a neighbor who was from a very poor family like hers. Rasa’s parents did not even have enough money to give their daughter a dowry. Her husband’s parents had no means to assist him financially either. And so Rasa and her husband had to eke out a living and start their married life without any money.

Rasa and her husband fished in the lagoon after they were married. She used to paddle the boat while her husband handled the fishing net. For Rasa it was no different because this is what she knew to do from the days she and her father went fishing . She and her husband saved some money to build a house, “We managed to safe some money and purchase a piece of land for ourselves. There after we obtained a loan from the village money lender and commenced building our house” she sai.

Ms. Rasa too was a victim of the tsunami.“On 26th December I had come home from Sunday mass carrying my son while my two other children were still in church. Suddenly there was big commotion in the street and I saw people crying out that a very large wave was coming towards us” describing her frightful experience of seeing the tsunami for the first time. She thought that her husband was washed away with the tsunami but fortunately he had survived it. Although her husband had survived it he fell seriously ill after he had gulped the brackish water several times. He became depressed that he had lost his house, which he had built through his hard earned money.

Their house had some six small rooms and a kitchen. They managed to build this house purely with their savings and also by repaying the loan they had obtained initially. At this juncture she came to know about Caritas Batticaloa -EHED’s National Animation Programme. “I heard about the activities of EHED in Periya kallar during the year 2000 I decided to join as a group member not because what it was assisting its members with but because of the high values it taught its’ members.” When she joined as a member of Caritas EHED group, EHED was engaged in training its group members in leadership, group formation and on saving habits.

After the tsunami, Ms Rasa’s family spent a period of three months in a refugee camp amidst many hardships and they were provided with a tent by another NGO. “Periya Kallar causeway which connected Periya Kallar and onthachimadam on the Batticalao Kalmunai road had been completely washed away and my husband and my self began the trade of transporting passengers between Periya Kallar and onthachimadam by our boat which was damaged by the tsunami. The day’s earnings were substantial and it helped us to repay the loan and also to fulfill our daily needs.” says Mrs. Alatrees describing her post tsunami experiences.

As she was a member of Caritas EHED’s Self help Group (SHG), Animators from Caritas EHED visited her and she was provided with a temporary shelter and then later with a permanent house. “When my husband learnt that Caritas EHED was about to provide us with a permanent house in place of the one we lost to the tsunami there was a considerable improvement in his state of mind” she said.

“I chose a model which we liked very much and Caritas EHED introduced the self built scheme. I hired a skilled mason who built my house and Caritas EHED paid him through me”. During the building process the Animators and the Technical officers of Caritas EHED constantly monitoring the building activities. “Whenever I pointed out certain modification that could be convenient to me, the technical staff of Caritas EHED acceded to my request and the skilled mason made the necessary alternations.” She further added.

In addition to being assisted with a brand new house build according to her wishes with certain alternation that suited her convenience, Caritas EHED also gave livelihood assistance by way of loan and grant. She used the financial assistance to enhance her family trade. With the money she received she was also able beautify her house and also purchase certain house hold electrical appliances. She also knows the value of education and hopes for a bright future for her children,“Although my husband is illiterate and I was fortunate to learn to read and write without going to school, I know the value of education and am determined to give my children a decent education.”