Vavuniya Letter 220

14.07.2012

 

Dear Sister,

 

I am well. I pray to God for your welfare.

The war started when we were living in Puthumaththalan. We couldn’t continue to stay there on account of the artillery shell attacks. We went from place to place, day and night without proper food. I suffered an injuery in my left leg in a shell attack. My sister-in-law and her grand-children who accompanied me lost their lives. We have 3 children. I lost contact with my husband. They molested my children. They couldn’t continue their studies. My eldest son who was in the G.C.E. O/L class couldn’t sit his examination. There were no employment facilities. The army brought us to Arunachalam Camp on 25.03.2009. We had to que up for food. Sometimes there wasn’t enough food for all. There were times when we stayed hungry. We were affected by sun and rain. As my husband was not well enough to work my eldest son went to work as a labourer. This work was also not continuous. This income was not enough to buy nutritious food for my husband. We were in dire poverty. Our second daughter got married. She is also with us. Our son-in-law was also jobless. Sometimes we sold the relief food items in the camp in order to buy other things. My third daughter is in grade six. We have to spend for her studies as well.

My dear sister I request you to help us as far as possible. We need help for my youngest daughter’s schooling and the medical expenses of my husband. If they resettle us in our own village we can engage in cultivation of crops. We spent two and half years in Arunachalam Camp and now we are in Kadirgamar Camp. We pray to God that we should return to our village. I request you to help us even in a small way that you can.