Harvesting success after floods

Moneragala, Sri Lanka: As usual Nishshanka Prasanna Technical officer for the Post Flood Recovery Assistance Programme (PFRAP) attached to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Societys Moneragala Branch started his daily routine by visiting Red Cross beneficiaries.

When he was passing a vegetable garden located in the Balaharuwa village, suddenly he saw a board fixed in middle of a land with a Red Cross Logo, and also something was.

He was so curious about it and wanted to know what it was and who put up such a board in the middle of a paddy land.

Nishshanka knew it was Weerakoon’s vegetable garden. He started to move close to the board and saw it was written in Sinhala  and it said “…For the support given to us to cultivate, I sincerely thank the Red Cross”

S.M.B.S Weerakoon a farther of three lost his entire cultivation from the flooding that occrued in early 2011. At the time when the disaster struck, he was successfully cultivating crops such as peanuts and corn. He had obtained a bank loan to enhance his business, however the floods that ravaged his area put him on a situation where he was helpless.

At this juncture Weerakoon came to know about the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society’s Post Flood recovery programme and he too thought to apply, with much hope.

“If it was not for the Red Cross, I am sure I would have lost my life. When things like this happen we are so helpless. The Red Cross was my savior” says Weerakoon.

He was selected and was granted a 35,000 rupees as a livelihood grant. He started cultivating again and settled his bank loan too. by cultivating green grams and Kawpi, now he earns a considerable amount of income to feed his family and to live a decent life.