4:09 AM
Nalanie: A light house in fisheries society which is dark in the bottom of it
The community which I
selected to share with you is Nilwella, which is situated in Matara district in
Sri Lanka. The main livelihood of the community is small scale fisheries. My
organization, the Southern fisheries organization is working with the fisher
people as a membership based organization with nearly 1200 members which is
spread in 25 villages in Matara district.
Since 2002 we began our development and organizing activities in Nilwella village
and began our animation work, social development work and also the fisheries
issues. Some of the fisher women and men involved with our discussion.
After several visits, may be
around 6 months, we were able to identified the leadership emerged from the
community. We met some women and we explained about our work. The community
leaders, mainly women explained their issues with us. It was very important
experiences for as women were very openly discussed about the fisheries issues
as well as wider societal issues among us. Some of the women in the group
agreed to form a small group in the community and to continue the work.
The first group we formed
there was ‘Jayani’ and there were five members in this group.
When we closely integrated
with the community, we metvery important woman in the group. Our story is about
the same lady whom we met in the group there.
Her name is K.H.Nalani. She
is 54 years old, married and have two children a boy [18 years] and a girl [20
years]. Unfortunately both are having some birth origin difficulties to hear,
and slightly mental defects. When we visited her home we realized her real family
life with difficulties. Her husband also did not have permanent work, just
doing some temporary work in the coast or any day today labor work in the
village for their survival. Also they were lived in a temporary house. The lady
was very much committed to the society and her life was in a real pathetic
situation. The village mates and the organization wanted to improve her living
condition and their way of thinking.
In our visits to the village,
we met Nalanie and her family members. After one year, we talked with her husband
and Nalanieabout their aim. They said that they need to start a business.
Because Nalanie’s husband doesn’t like to work in fishing, because of their
children’s situation. He can’t go to the sea and protect the children.
We asked them what kind of
work he do. So they need to work in their house. Coir production is common in
the area and they expected to learn on coir production and assistance for the
machine, a simple technology. We arranged the training to make coir production
to the community members and Nalanie’s husband was one among them. The other
members of the women’s group also helped to start their production. Now they
are running their work well. Nalanie’s son and daughter also engage to coir
production and it has become a good income to family survival.
Now we have a 15 women’s
groups in Nilwella. Nalani is the leader of the whole group. She is one of the
community leader in Nilwella area. If there is any issue in their village she
is always in the fore front.
She is participating all
activities when we are doing. She is the secretary in Southern Fisheries
Organization district committee. Presently, Nalanie is a member of National
Fisher People’s Organization of NAFSO and two years ago she was elected as one
of the chair persons of the same. In 2013, Nalanie was awarded as one among 100
of Rural Women Leaders in Asia which was organized by Asian Rural Women
Congress.
Nalanie is one of a strong
women leader of SFO and NAFSO as she came out from the bottom of the social
strata in our society and become one of very dedicated, brave women leader
emerged from the grass root level in a remote village of Nilwella.
