MAG has cleared homes belonging to 30 families from the village of Adampan, meaning they could return immediately, knowing they were safe.
One of the returnees is 70-year-old Pilippu Sinthathurai. Before the war, working as a farmer and carpenter, Mr Sinthathurai made a good living through his trade, with the village one of the richest and most developed areas in the Mannar region.
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Rebuilding futures in Adampan [click] |
But since the mid-1980s the community has repeatedly been forced to flee the village, due to periods of heavy fighting and the threat of being forcibly recruited to join rebel group the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
Since September 2007, Mr Sinthathurai has been moving between displacement camps throughout the north of Sri Lanka to escape the fighting, finally ending up at the huge camp in Vavuniya.
But even returning home has not been without its problems. His home had been badly damaged, and he and his family must rely on the limited money given to them by the Government as 'returnees'. However, Mr Sinthathurai is hopeful for the future.
“It is up to us to get our lives back on track,” he said.
“MAG is currently clearing my paddy field area and once it is safe we will start farming again, as only through cultivation can we begin to develop and increase our income.”
Ms Sasikaran Josephin Croos returned to Adampan with her son and nephew during the middle of a MAG operation to clear her house of any dangerous items of unexploded ordnance.
They stayed in temporary accommodation until it was declared safe, but 49-year-old Mrs Croos wasted no time in getting their lives restarted, immediately investing some money in opening a small shop which is already bringing in some income.
As soon as she had her land returned safely, Mrs Croos would begin farming rice again in the hopes of regaining her former income of 25-30,000 rupees per month.
“My family faced immense hardship when we were displaced and in the camps,” said Mrs Croos. “Now that we are home, we have a chance to increase our earnings and take forward our futures. I want our country and the world to be free of landmines.”
[Photo, top: Getting his life back on track: Mr Sinthathurai at work on his land.]
MAG would like to express its thanks to the following donor to its Sri Lanka operations: AusAID; Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); UK Department for International Development (DFID); Good Gifts; The Kirby Laing Foundation; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State; Stichting Vluchteling; TUUT Charitable Trust. Click on Tags below for related articles.
1 February 2010
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