ABDF

• Project Completed Update! (See below)
• Location: Chenkalady, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
• Recipients:1 family
• Objective:Leak-proof roof for refugee family
• Final cost:$140 US

ABDF's two local partners: Vive (l) from the Batti SVP, and Vasan (r), President of the Chenkalady SVP.

Last year ABDF aided the Batticaloa St. Vincent de Paul Society with our Widow Nesamany project. In addition, we linked Batti SVP with a friend, Claire de Jong, who was visiting from Ireland and wanted to do some construction projects. The result of both efforts was highly satisfactory, and working with SVP, it turns out, is a delight. The group is responsive, accurate, and hard working. In fact, they even return change! Last year's Widow Nesamany project came out a couple hundred rupees under budget (about $2) and there was Mr. Gabriel, the SVP President, handing the cash back along with the receipts! More importantly though, SVP works directly with the most impoverished of people, and fits neatly with our goal of helping local Sri Lankan groups help themselves.

This year, Batti SVP has approached ABDF with a request to provide tin sheet roofing for three families. One such family is Mr. Viknarajah and his family, who live in Chenkalady, about 20 km north of Batticaloa.

Meet Sasihala Viknarajah. Unfortunately on our visit Mrs. Viknarajah was the only one home.

Mr. Viknarajah and his family originally hail from Jaffna, the major Tamil city at the northern tip of the island, and scene of some of the very worst violence of the civil conflict. Displaced from their home, the family was eventually resettled in Chenkalady. The family consists of Mr. Viknarajah, age 43, his wife Sasihala (42) and their three children; Mauran (male, 22), Sinthiya (female, 20) and Thanushiya (female, 16). Mr. Viknarajah is a day laborer as is his son. Sinthiya is studying for her A-level exam, which is required to enter university, while Thanushiya is in her final year of high school and will soon take her O-level exam.

The Viknarajah family house.

The family lives in a cadjan house. This is a traditional method of building structures; a frame is constructed using stripped tree branches or wood planks, and is covered by mats woven from the fronds of the Cadjan palm tree. In many ways this type of house is problematic. During the rainy season it is not water proof, and the interior gets soaked. During the dry season, the cool cadjan leaves provide a ideal home for all sorts of creeping and flying nasties; spiders, centipedes, flies and, worst of all from a health standpoint, mosquitoes.

Measuring for tin sheets.

Close-up of the cadjan roof.

The usual solution for both problems is to put up a corrugated tin roof, and all but the poorest have managed to do this.

ABDF has agreed to provide the materials to replace the roof and to hire a local worker to do the work. Additionally we have decided to put tin over the family toilet, which right now has no roofing.

The family toilet. ABDF will put a tin roof over this.

The Project Director visited the site to asses the project’s viability. While there he was extremely pleased to see how well Mrs. Viknarajah has maintained both the house and the property. The family has almost no money, but Mrs. Viknarajah has planted a vegetable garden, and has created an extremely shady and pleasant environment. She has done a lot of work with no resources, which shows pride in her house. The fact that she and her family have taken so much care tells ABDF that they truly value what they do have, which in turns shows ABDF just how valuable the new roof will be to the family.

The front door. Again, notice how much care has been put into the house and garden.

Mrs. Viknarajah has worked hard to make her garden shady and pleasant.

Project Completed Update - July 20, 2009

The new roof. It was difficult to take detailed pictures, as the sun reflecting off the new tin was so bright.

ABDF is happy to announce that the roofing project in Chenkalady is complete. The Project Director visited the Viknaraja family on Sunday (07/20/09) to see their new roof, which had been completed the Friday before. He also met the other members of the family, Mr. Viknaraja, son Mauran, and daughters Sinthyia and Thanushiya.

Mr. Viknarajah, Mauran, Mrs. Viknaraja

While there, ABDF learned a little more about the family history. The family originates in Jaffna, the Tamil city on the northern tip of Sri Lanka and scene of some of the worst fighting of the civil conflict. During the fighting, the family house was bombed and they lost everything. Seeking a bit of peace, they fled to southern India, winding up in a refugee camp. An electrical problem in the camp caused a major fire, and burned most of it down; again, the family lost everything (Project Director Bennett Hinkley was shown photographs of the aftermath of the fire). Mrs. Viknaraja has some relations in Batticaloa, so once again, the family uprooted and relocated. They have been in Batticaloa for 13 years now.

Despite the hardships, the family is delightful, and has maintained a very positive attitude. The Project Director was very happy to be able to help them.

From left to right: Thanushiya, Bennett Hinkley, Mr. Viknaraja, Mrs. Vinknaraja, Mauran.

The Viknaraja family wishes to thank ABDF and it’s donors for the assistance. The tin roof represents a significant improvement to their house, as does the roof to the toilet. Incidentally, we purchased an extra tin sheet and were able to provide a door for the toilet.

Mauran and the ABDF’s contact with SVP, Vive.

ABDF would like to thank the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for introducing us to Mr. Viknaraja and his family, especially Vasan, the Chenkalady chapter President and Vive, our main contact to SVP’s District-wide.