9 September 2023 11:00 am Views - 4696
By Kanchana Kumara
In a poignant tale of adversity, three children from Pahala Giribawa in Pothanegama, Kurunegala, find themselves in a dire situation as their mother works abroad, their father serves a life sentence, and their humble home teeters on the brink of collapse.
These siblings, aged 14, seven, and five, are grappling with a challenging existence, devoid of formal education, and are reliant on their own resourcefulness for survival. The eldest of the trio, a 14-year-old, bravely assumed the role of caretaker after their father’s imprisonment and mother’s overseas venture left them stranded.
The children’s mother embarked on a journey of employment overseas, only to find herself confined to a room within an employment agency in Kuwait due to a lack of job opportunities. Meanwhile, their father is incarcerated, serving a life sentence for an incident in their village.
The 14-year-old boy, the de facto head of the household, was forced to relinquish his education and take on manual labour to support his younger brother and sister. However, even this fragile lifeline was disrupted by inclement weather, leaving them without income.
Their wattle and daub house, already in a state of disrepair, is exacerbated by a leaking cadjan-thatched roof. Additionally, the constant fear of encroaching wild elephants adds to the children’s distress.
In a desperate plea, the mother, reachable through WhatsApp, has expressed her plight, confined in a room at the employment agency after her proposed employer withdrew their offer. She implores the authorities to facilitate her return to Sri Lanka to care for her three children, who currently face an uncertain future in their challenging circumstances.