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by Christie Fernando, Chilaw special correspondent

Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Director, Small Fishers Federation, Pambala, Chilaw addressing about 400 widows at the seminar.

About four hundred widows vehemently voiced their concern for social security, legitimate support - and adequate recognition - to eliminate the stigma attached to their shattered and anguished lives- to live equally as other citizens in the country - with dignity and honour.

"Why should widows like us treated with such abhorrence and repulsion - and segregated as outcasts in society?" People loathed and looked down upon us with suspicion. We were also sexually harassed. We may be conceived as having a blameworthy character. Nevertheless, we are burdened in life, having to support our children, forsaken by their lawful fathers - it's sad to say that some are dead and gone prematurely - and some of us are separated from our husbands - and others have left us in the lurch, and sneaked away to find other wives, etc."

"Even the banks were unwilling to lend us support and give us substantial loans to carry out viable projects for self-sustenance as we cannot find reliable guarantors - especially in case, we are unable to repay the loans taken. We have to fend for our children single-handedly - and are constrained to provide basic education, clothing as well as food for them. Some even detested associating with us - some were of opinion that it would bring them bad luck if they see our woeful countenance early in the morning - and they even unwaveringly surmised that it would bring them ill-luck and calamity, they lamented. They were discernibly driven from pillar to post - and their dilemma was that, no one cared to listen to their travails and grievances."

This was indeed the impassioned plea of the distressed widows present from low income widow-families belonging to thirty grama niladari divisions at a seminar held at the Divisional Secretariat upstairs' auditorium, Hambantota on August 8, 2002 under the auspices of the Small Fishers Federation, Chilaw with the funding assistance from the "Terre des Hommes" ("Earth for Mankind), Netherlands, valued over rupees two million, to give them a sound awareness to live as dignified citizens and as well grant them substantial loans to be engaged in gainful self-employment projects for their livelihood development after undergoing a weeks' in-service skills-training program at the Widows and Youngsters' Vocational Training Centre of the Small Fishers Federation, Bandagiriya, Hambantota.

Also present at the seminar were Messrs Lei Brouns, South Asian Director, "Terre des Hommes", Netherlands, Director, Small Fishers Federation, Chilaw, Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Hambantota Assistant Divisional Secretary, Ganesh Amerasinghe, Hambantota Divisional Secretariat Social Services Officer, Miss A. J. P. Shiromini, Small Fishers Federation Secretary, Chandana Bandara and Regional Director, Jayatilleka Perera.

Mr. Lei Brouns, South Asia Director, "Terre des Hommes" (TdH), (who had worked for a considerable period in Sri Lanka for the emancipation of widows, children and mothers in Sri Lanka), addressing the widows said, the Netherlands-funded Widows Development Programme of the Small Fishers Federation, Chilaw was initiated in 1995. Since then, over 450 widows and 280 youngsters benefited from this pragmatic programme. He said the widows had lost their spouses due to mishaps during deep-sea fishing, in military action, insurgency or in illness, when such widows and their children were compelled to live in penury and extreme poverty under severe economic conditions."

Mr. Lei Brouns, South Asia Director, "Terre des Hommes", Netherlands said: "They were desperately lacking in day-to-day basic needs and essentials for their livelihood. They had no proper shelter. They were deprived even of decent clothes and attire, and fundamentally, in their despicable state, they were not in a position to get their three square meals for the day."

He pointed out that "Out of 450 widows, 61 per cent were young, and they had also faced sexual harassment. Their relatives had neglected them. It was reported that, very close family friends too had attempted to harm their reputation as a result of their utter loneliness and despondency. They could not feed their children.

They were lacking in adequate skills to procure jobs to keep their home-fires burning. Socially and economically, they were a marginalised group. And due to the existing cultural norms and patterns, the society too had neglected and unfavourably disregarded them. Due to isolation, misery, frustration and abject poverty, they had been plunged into destitution and acute financial distress".

Mr. Brouns stressed that the widows in the fishing community were evidently the hidden victims of circumstances due to unjust barriers of social, cultural and economic institutions. It was due to the timely intervention and efforts of the TdH, the Netherlands, and through the magnanimous services of the Small Fishers Federation that these hapless widows were saved from the grip of poverty and utter helplessness. Other organisations had unfortunately paid scant attention to assist the underprivileged and destitute widows".

"After a period of six years since 1995, the Small Fishers Federation through the assistance of Terre des Hommes, Netherlands, the situation of these hapless women had drastically improved and changed for the better. The widows are now a proud and privileged lot. The success-stories recounted by widows are many. And, this is only a synthesis and summary of the resounding success stories of the TdH-supported program for the underprivileged widows."

"All these widows were organised into a social support network, where they have a major role and task in decision-making. During the 1995-98 period under review, out of 150 widows, 104 successfully rebuilt their families, under the mantle of TdH support".

The second phase of the Widows Development Programme had commenced in April 1999, and it was completed on March 30, 2002. For the second phase, about 400 widows as well as 280 youngsters from widows' families were selected for TdH assistance. Many widows and youngsters were now successfully engaged in self-employment schemes through overcoming their socio-economic imbalances.

The experiences of this women's programme had clearly indicated that their utter denial and repudiation as widows was so pathetic - and it was well nigh an arduous task for them to redeem their long lost reputation and honour. But, with a broad-based, human-skills investment and proper management of resources, it will certainly enable them to recoup their lost prestige and dignity, they had unwittingly forfeited through no fault of theirs. So now, it is good news to mention that, in the larger context of the fabric of society, village and family, they have successfully retrieved their lost honour by dint of great effort - and regained their prestige and position in the villages.

This was possible owing to the on-going project of the TdH through the laudable services of the Small Fishers Federation. And economically, their conditions are moderately satisfactory. They have gradually come out of their shackles and achieved phenomenal success in the end. At the present juncture, they don't have to go a-begging any more. They have now progressively deviated from a desperate position of dependency and servitude. They no longer are subject to sexual harassment. These unfortunate and forlorn widows are now veritably recognised as partners and co-workers in the fishery community as well as the economy, and more importantly, in the continued social development process, Mr. Brouns added.

Anuradha Wickramasinghe, Director, Small Fishers Federation, Chilaw said that consequent to a survey conducted in the Hambantota region, he was able to identify a large number of widows in Tissamaharama and Hambantota. "We are providing a sustainable livelihood scheme for widows in the district who are living a frugal and hand-to-mouth existence."

Mr. Wickramasinghe said: "Widows were displaced due to unfortunate circumstances. Some have been abandoned by their spouses or forsaken due to untimely deaths or suicide which had wrecked their families. As a result, their children had suffered acutely as they had no means of providing them sustenance.

He said that mere doing out, finances never assisted them on the long run. The unfortunate widows should be primarily trained to ply a trade and taught how best to eke out a living by endeavouring to save gradually from what they had earned, as their savings, which assisted them on the long run, ensuring security and stability in their lives".

"Some who obtained loans from the Federation were on a good footing and they somehow or other managed to pay back the loans, and have improved their living conditions. After repaying the loans taken, some were able to obtain bigger loans, for instance, to build a house or to buy implements needed for their enterprises. I'm happy to observe they are now living contented and cheerful lives in their own way", he said. Hambantota Assistant Divisional Secretary, Ganesh Amerasinghe, Hambantota Divisional Secretariat Social Services Officer, Miss A. J. P. Shiromini, Small Fishers Federation Secretary, Chandana Bandara and Regional Director, Jayatilleke Perera and several others also spoke.

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