ABDF

Mrs. Nesamany lives in a tiny one room shack.

Meet Mrs. Agnes Nesamany.

Mrs. Nesamany is 65 years old. She was born and raised in Batticaloa, and when 22 married a man named John.

They had four children, two of which lived to see adulthood. During the ethnic conflict, both husband and surviving male child were killed. Mrs. Nesamany’s husband was murdered during a still unsolved massacre in the village of Kokadacholai. As a result her son joined the Tamil Tiger rebels and went north to fight. That was the last time she saw her son; two years later received a letter saying her son had died on a nameless battlefield in the northern jungle. Her daughter married a man from the village of Pakunaveli and moved to his family. During a military offensive in 1992 the village was displaced and Mrs. Nesamany never heard from her daughter again. Such family histories are all too common here.

Coming from a poor family, Mrs. Nesamany was never educated beyond the fourth grade (although she somehow managed to learn pretty decent English) and thus has difficulties finding employment. When she can, she earns a few rupees by acting as an assistant cook for friends.

A devout Roman Catholic, Mrs. Nesamany bears her situation with surprising grace, even joking with the Program Director. On the serious side, “What can I do?” she asks rhetorically. “Nothing; it’s all in the hands of God.”

Mrs. Nesamany asked the Program Director to extend her thanks to ABDF.org for her improved shelter. “Thank you. And God bless you all.”