Sri Lanka
Kandasamy has worked with MAG Sri Lanka for five years. During the Sri Lankan civil war, she was caught in an air attack while fleeing for safety. She was injured in the explosion, losing her leg, and tragically, her first child also died.
Today, she walks with the help of a metal prosthetic. In addition to caring for her children, Kandasamy also looks after her mother. Through her work with MAG, she is able to support her family and give them a better life. Her job has brought her independence. Surrounded by many other women, she feels secure and supported – able to share her struggles with colleagues who understand. Inspired by her journey, she now shares her story to encourage others.
Kandasamy is also taking part in MAG’s staff transition activities, which help prepare employees for life after Sri Lanka is declared ‘mine-free’. She has completed her exam and is waiting for her scooter license. Because of her prosthetic leg, passing the medical exam for the license has been difficult. For now, she leaves home at 4am to catch the bus to work – even though her site is only eight kilometres away. Once she’s able to ride her own scooter, she’ll gain back precious hours at both ends of the day.
Maristella – whose name means Star of Mother Mary – has worked with MAG since 2020. Her husband has a health condition that limits how much he can work, and he isn’t able to earn enough to support their family.
Her salary allows her to send their children to school. Her son is now the supervisor of a farm in Jaffna – a hotel with 10–15 acres of land where organic vegetables are grown. Guests can pick fruit and vegetables from the garden, and the chef prepares meals from their selection. Her son is in charge of the flower and vegetable garden, and Maristella is deeply proud that her children have made good use of the opportunities her work has given them.
“They’ve really made me proud. It is MAG who gave me support beyond just paying my salary – they have taken care of me,” she says.
Her middle daughter has been selected for the Sri Lanka national women’s cricket team. She trains in Colombo and is a fast bowler. When asked if her children are proud of her, Maristella becomes emotional. “The hard-earned money was not wasted.”
Many people, she says, have a deep determination to educate their children, because they themselves missed out during the war. It has been a difficult 30 years.
Soohitha has been a team leader with MAG for the past year, after joining the organisation 12 years ago. Her connection to MAG is deeply personal. Both of her parents passed away, and she believes their illnesses may have been linked to the contaminated land in her area.
Alongside her work, Soohitha also cares for her siblings – one of her brothers is disabled and unable to look after himself. She joined MAG because she understands the challenges faced by her community and doesn’t want anyone else to experience what she has been through. Through her work, she feels she is contributing, in her own small way, to saving her community.
Looking ahead to when Sri Lanka is finally free of mines, she hopes to start her own business from home – perhaps supplying food products. Building something of her own has long been her dream.
As a child, her family’s financial struggles and the long years of war limited her opportunities and made it difficult to move forward in life. Even so, she still hopes to create something independent and lasting for herself.
Selvi has lived in the same house since she was a child, and she now owns the property. She has two acres of land, which she has leased to her brothers. In return, they give her 10 sacks of paddy, earning her around 21,000 rupees in extra income.
Her days begin early. She wakes up at 2am to prepare food and clean the house before catching the 4am bus from her village. She arrives at the minefield just after 5.30am and is usually home by 3.30pm. Selvi says she feels satisfied knowing that her income allows her to care for her daughter and remain financially independent.
Born in 1985, Selvi grew up during the war and remembers the hardships her community faced – limited access to medicine, transportation, and safety. She married in 2003, and her daughter was born the following year. In 2009, as the war intensified and her village came under attack, Selvi, her husband, and their daughter were displaced many times. They did not return home until the end of 2010.
At one point, they were displaced to Malavika in the Mullaitivu district – a place she describes as a “war cemetery.” Many people trying to escape the fighting had fled there, but the area was struck repeatedly by air attacks. Many mothers with infants were displaced in the area, and a series of bunkers had been dug – underground pits about six feet deep, filled with insects, reptiles, and snakes. The infants were placed inside these bunkers to shield them from danger, sometimes for more than 24 hours at a time. Selvi, her husband, and her daughter lived in one of these bunkers, surviving on rice porridge. One day, while living in the bunker, Selvi’s husband left to find food. He was struck by a missile and died instantly. Their daughter was only four years old.
She remained in the bunker for about two and a half months before the Sri Lankan army moved everyone from Malavika to the Vavuniya IDP camp, where she stayed for six months before finally returning home.
“Because of poverty, most women don’t have proper nutrition and are forced to become labourers and work in various places,” Selvi says. “Poverty has made women step outside of their homes.”
