Carving out a livelihood his way

by B. Ranjitha

The IOM transitional settlement in Moratuwa is a beehive of activity as our vehicle pulls in one sunny afternoon. Sounds of children squealing in delight as they go back and forth on swings fill the air. But there's another persistent noise that draws our attention: the scraping of wood.

Walking around a transitional home down a rather neat little lane at the entrance to the settlement, we come upon a man in his mid-thirties working away diligently on a piece of wood. No, he is not here to build or repair settlement homes. K. Wimalasiri Perera is doing what has been doing for nearly a couple of decades now: creating things out of wood.

Moratuwa, of course, is home to the finest carpenters in the country. So, it comes as no surprise that the some of Sri Lanka's best furniture is created here. Wimalasiri though is busy fashioning something a little more humble: a wooden coconut scraper. The finished product is not very elegant really but it more than makes up for that with its efficacy. It's basically a low stool with a piece of metal jutting out and an extended piece of wood to hold a bowl underneath it.

You just have to sit on the stool and hold a halved coconut over the metal scraper. It's so easy, Wimalasiri beams. Obviously, he is proud of his creation. And he has a reason to be happy too.

Coconuts are a big part of Sri Lankan cuisine. So, needless to say, this little contraption is quite a hit not just with customers outside the IOM settlement but with residents too.

Wimalasiri's modest business was washed away like that of thousands of others by the 2004 tsunami. He used to make timber beams used in the construction of roofs of houses and buildings.

When he came to the IOM settlement along with his wife and his young daughter in July this year, Wimalasiri was a dejected man. But, he didn't sit around dwelling on his misfortunes for very long: IOM provided him along with some other carpenters in the settlement with a carpentry kit. It costs about US dollars 200 and consists of a hammer, a drill, a grinder and hand-blower used in reshaping metal.

IOM's Livelihood Restoration and Development programme helps tsunami-affected people regain and develop sustainable livelihoods. It was originally launched with funding from USAID and is currently funded by the government of Greece. So far, more than 2,400 families including Wimalasiri's in five districts have benefited from this programme.

Right from the beginning, I didn't want to depend on handouts, Wimalasiri says, referring aid distributed by the Government and other agencies.

His coconut scraper-stool sells for 300 Sri Lankan rupees, which is less than three US dollars. It takes Wimalasiri about 90 minutes to make one and he says that while his product is already quite popular, he plans to start a door-to-door sales campaign.

Wimalasiri does not conform to the conventional and often ill-informed notion of a disaster victim. And if one wants more proof that he is a man with initiative this 35-year-old carpenter from Moratuwa is currently in the process of producing hand-held coconut scrapers as well!

So, does he see his time at the transitional settlement as a foundation for a future life? Yes. I definitely want to expand this business. I want to provide for my family and give my daughter a good life, says Wimalasiri exuding confidence.