Mr larry Millan from ECLOF International and Mr Chrishantha Hettiaratchi , The Programme Manager paid a visit to Mannar to see the ground situation and how their beneficiaries from Nanattan and Avanam in the Nanattan Divisional Secretary area performing with their soft loans to the middle level families ,WRDS members and Women headed families.
It was amazing to see most of them do a rapid progress, in tailoring and earning Rs, 4,000/= per month, Doing Ground nut and Green gram cultivation and received good harvest by irrigating from their open well and tube well , Price of ground nut fetches 250/= and green gram for Rs, 300/= per kilo,
Many of them do fishing bought small nets, canon and do Prone, Crab , Cuttle fish and Fish catching, One Kg prone fetches Rs, 500/=, Crab ( Large green ) fetches 600/=.and Cuttle fish for Rs, 450/=.
Some of the women folk buy Prone, Crabs, \Cuttle fish and do a collection & sell it to Southern venders who in turn supply to Colombo Hotels for double the prize., It was most surprise to see most of them have GPS equipment for their modern fishing, Few women have opened a small grocery shop in their homestead and do sale but she says most of them are close relations in the village as such they buy things on loan but promptly pay the money, she receive average Rs, 4,000/= to 6,000/= per month.
Few of them do poultry keeping, but most of them have country birds, one woman had 160 birds mostly rare in a free range system. One woman has broilers and have quick sale once in two months. Many of them use the Atchankulam Lagoon for wetting Coconut leaves, thatching cadjans and selling. Also do small scale prone, fish catching in their backyard lagoon.
They need more loan and ECLOF feel to give Rs, 40,000/= per person ,who could pay their earlier money within three to six months. Next month another set of Women folk numbering 100 no will receive from Pesalai, Nadukuda, Olithodduvai mostly for home adopt Cottage industries, such as drum stick, Palmyra products selling, Home garden ,thatching cadjans, Tailoring, dry fish curing etc.
The indicators shows that they are happy, feel that there is additional income, during their leisure hour they are engaged with their family members to a productivity work than gossiping. ECLOF encouraged them to have a saving to their children education and have recording their accounts individually.
In the mean time another set of women folk have approached ECLOF from Chemanthivu in Murunkan for Fresh water fishing in the Giants tank, and sell them raw or dry them and sell it. These are their age old traditional job. There is very high potential for women development in Mannar. ECLOF wants to give modern technology training to improve their skills.
Mr.Peter Sinclair,
Freelance Project Consultant & Trainer,
M.No +094 – (0) 77-2131-652
E-Mail ; petsinclair@gmail.com
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