Standing alone
After they closed the border, the prices for everything went up, like sugar and flour, and there are more refugees here now. It’s hard for us, everything is very difficult. We only have this one store, and now all the prices have gone up. We only get a little money, but the kids need a lot and it’s very difficult...
Living here in Vanni is very different from life in Jaffna. Here you can live freely, if at midnight your ear starts hurting you can go to the hospital. But there in the evenings I’m scared to even light a candle. It’s very difficult there. I asked my relatives why they were staying there, when they couldn’t even leave their house after 6 pm. They later came from there to stay here with me for safety. They say how freely we live here, and how much happier we are here. There even if someone in the next house is dying, you can’t go and help...
-Venthiny Sobiraj, 36 years Read more stories from Sri Lanka |
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My husband died last year, so now I am alone in taking care of
our six children. I have a laundry store, so all our money supply
comes from that. Before my husband would do other work, odd
jobs for temples and weddings, but now we don’t get that
income. It’s hard now, especially when buying school supplies
for the children.
I feel Tamil people can’t live with the Sri Lankan government.
Like the good snake, they can seem harmless for a while, but
then they will bite and release their poison. So like that, the
government is watching and waiting for one day to bite. So even
though some may think it’s a nice snake, today or one day we’ll
see the truth...
Growing up we didn’t hace all the conveniences to study. But
unlike us, I want my children to be able to study freely. I only
studied until the 4th grade. I don’t want my children to go
through the same difficulties as me. Now all my children are
studying. My last son, who’s only 6 years old, says he wants to
be a doctor.
