A meeting was organized with objective of understanding the existing situation about the widows in war effected villages and discuss about future process in five villages of Mannar district.
40 widows from Pesale, Madukare, Mullikulam, Thottaweli, and Walkepttrankandal villages were participated to the program.
Main finds-
• Still they are living in temporally huts.
• Any systematic process was not taken to resettle them properly especially in Mullikulam.
• They have been facing economic crisis. According to the received information most of them take only one meal per day.
• Subsidies are provided by the Government consisting of dhal, rice, sugar and other essential goods monthly. But it is not enough and even that subsidy is not provided properly.
• Life of some old widows is totally depends on earnings of their children.
• Due to lack of education facilities, children do not attend to school properly.
• There are no any basic facilities especially lavatory facilities, so women have to face so many difficulties.
Ongoing process and future program-
• Widows have formed small groups with least five members.
• Especially the widows who are in Pesale area have cleaned their lands to build houses and have taken some assistance from Nongovernmental organizations in the area, to re build their family life.
• Mullikulam people have decided to discuss with religion leaders and government officials in the area on resettling their own lands
• The process is stated again on going to their own places in Mullikulam
Date- 23.02.2012
Venue- Cultural center in Mannar
Participants-
A.Jesudasn – Overall Coordinator, North and East
K.H. Laveena Hasanthi – Coordinator, women program.
Coordinator and field officers in Mannar district
Forty widows from selected five villages in Mannar district
Reported by Laveena Hasanthi
