Couple overcome hardships with organic cultivation business

• Wijeratne, and his wife are both physically handicapped but regardless of their disability, they have been able to cultivate about two acres of vegetables and fruits
• My most urgent need is a new wheel chair,” he said sending a message to society that no task is impossible for the determined

A physically handicapped couple of Sinhagama in Hingurakgoda has set an example by resorting to agriculture, to earn a pittance to provide for their only child’s education. Misfortune befell on the family living in Aluthoya area in Sinhagama, a village located by the Habarana - Trincomalee highway when the breadwinner of the family M.K.D. Wijeratne (46) fell down a tree and sustained serious injuries to his spinal chord. Since the accident, he has been confined to a wheel chair. 

His wife K. G. Sumitra who had been hard of hearing, developed a heart ailment further aggravating their misery when their son was just one year old. Wijeratne who was not deterred by the accident put up a hut by the roadside and took to fruit and vegetable trade overcoming the challenge of his physical disability. People from far and near patronize him making it a lucrative business.  
However, with determination and unstinted courage they helped their son Damithu Thanujaya to pursue his studies uninterrupted and much to their pleasure he passed the year five scholarship this year.   

Most of the people are under the impression that his disability drew the sympathy of others and that it resulted in the success of his business. We met this determined family to inquire into their story of success.   
Wijeratne, and his wife are both physically handicapped but regardless of their disability, they have been able to cultivate about two acres of vegetables and fruits. It is of significance that that they have done away with synthetic fertilizer and agro chemicals, and depended on organic fertilizer alone. They sell their produce from the farm direct to the consumers without allowing any intermediary to make calls.  

He pointed out that the vegetable plots are in methodical rows with regular intervals between them enabling him to move among them in the wheel chair and to attend to watering, stirring of soil, and removing rank vegetation. He said his hands are strong enough although his lower limbs are incapacitated. He said he would cover the vegetable plots with polythene sheets to protect them from insects instead of using agro chemicals.   

Wijeratne pointed out that he cultivated long term crops including coconut, orange, and banana and that he is already harvesting the yield.   
“My main object is to provide for the education of my son. My wife takes our son to Habarana , about 25 kilometres away every morning and after his academic activities returns home at sunset. This has been going on for several years. During the previous government, the National Housing Authority promised to provide me a grant of Rs.500,000 to build a house, but the National Housing Authority that paid only Rs. 75,000 informed me to build the house and to claim for reimbursement. I built two rooms with loans raised from the village Funeral Aid Society and several others and sent photos to the NHA but to no avail. I had to settle the loans with the meager income from the vegetable trade,” he said.   

“The battery in the hearing aid used by my wife has to be replaced once a week at a cost of Rs.1,500. My wheel chair which I purchased for Rs. 5000 is now in a ramshackle condition. The pneumatic tires have been stuffed with coir after removing the punctured tubes. My most urgent need is a new wheel chair,” he said sending a message to society that no task is impossible for the determined.