Chandrani and her family live in hope amidst great uncertainty

R.P. Chandrani is a mother of two children, one of hundreds who has applied for one of the permanent houses Plan is building for tsunami survivors in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.

Since February she lives with her husband and children in one of 18 temporary one-room houses in a camp. They have plank walls, tin roofs, and all of the occupants share the six outside toilets. Water is supplied by bowsers. Before that, they were in a relief camp in a school.

Due to lack of electricity, Chandrani's daughter sleeps over at her sister’s house so that she can study there. Chandrani has concerns about her safety, as “There are too many boys around.” 

When the waves hit them the morning after Christmas, celebrations with relatives were still going on at Chandrani’s home. Her son and daughter were able to run, but her husband and she couldn't: “He pulled me by my hair, and we were clinging on to a beam on the roof.” They tried and failed to save her father, whoe was swept away along with all their belongings.

Plan Sri Lanka has already started construction of 200 permanent houses at Yayawatte in Hambantota for tsunami affected families, of which Chandrani may be a recipient. Chandrani is not sure where her new house, if she gets one, will be. She hopes it's close to her original home.

Chandrani and her children will be able to feed into the design process for the new houses, to ensure that the new design will meet their needs. We plan to provide three rooms, and separate toilet and bath, and offer families three designs to choose from.

This family has received the 'tsunami coupons' which entitle them to food rations, and the monthly allowance of Rs.5000 allocated for tsunami-affected people by the government. Chandrani says they also received a one-off payment of Rs.2500 for cooking utensils. But she doesn't like the kerosene stove in the small kitchen adjoining the room, so only uses it when her husband is home. When he's out fishing, they have eat at her sister’s house. Their cash allowance was used on expenses such as the weekly medication required by her husband, and the children’s tuition fees.

They are not as unfortunate as many thousands whose losses were greater, but their lives are now in disarray. They live in hope, amidst great uncertainty.

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya
Communications Officer, Plan Sri Lanka