My name is Pathma Rajani, mother of three children from Thadsanamadu village in Madhu Division, Mannar. My husband is a daily labour worker. My family together with all my villagers displaced in 2008 and got resettled in 2010. When I returned to my house, it was very sad to see its roof gone blown in the airstrike. Livestock got killed and all income generation assets fully damaged. There was no means to resume our day to day living in the critical situation.

In this helpless situation caritas-valvuthayam came to save us from starvation and dangers. Initially, they provided temporary shelter to protect us and supported with sewing machine and milking cow to increase our household income. I managed to make Rs.3000 monthly profit from this assistance in addition to the income brought by my husband through labour works. This income was very useful especially to educate my children and expand my business activities.

Gradually, I became the member of CBO and SHG in my village where I got the chance getting loans to clean my agriculture lands and start paddy cultivation. Finally, in 2018 I had another greatest opportunity to increase my capacity and skills in leather production. Together with my CBO members, I participated in 9 days, leather production training and began investment. My leather product especially female slippers were produced and locally marketed with the income of Rs.3000-5000 monthly.

My ultimate goal or dream is to increase my skills further to ensure its final quality and marketing opportunities. I am happy to hear now that my CBO in collaboration with Thrift Society is going to organized advanced skilled development training on leather production and creating market opportunities for producers.

I am quite confident that surely I will increase my monthly income from Rs.5000 to 10000 very soon and have more savings for my children. My wholehearted thanks go to Caritas-Valvuthayam for lightening my life in many ways especially through leather production training.