The Resilient Matriarch
Despite losing nearly everything she owned, Gunawathie (60) remains hopeful. This resilient matriarch insists that unwavering hope has helped her overcome many difficulties. Gunawathie runs a small tea-shop in her village. Her daily income is used to clothe and feed her widowed daughter and granddaughter who both live under her care. Gunawathie lost her own husband two years ago and has since then assumed duties as the bread-winner of her household. In May 2017 Gunawathie’s family was one of many who suffered from the monsoonal rains leading to one of the worst natural disasters Sri Lanka has experienced. At the height of the crisis over 700,000 people were affected with 214 deaths and 76 missing persons reported by the Disaster Management Center (DMC). Gunawathie and twenty four other families from her village were selected to receive a cash grant of LKR 30,000 from Oxfam, LEADS and partners through the funding of ECHO, during the immediate aftermath of the floods. The money was deposited over the course of three months. The most vulnerable families were chosen based on several indicators, including those living below the poverty line and women-headed households.