A courageous woman’s struggle for survival

Ramani works at her plot of land

10 April 2019

This is a story of a courageous woman who lives in Watawala Dewahuwa in Galewela. She labours hard in agriculture for her survival without the help of others. When we met her on the day when the whole globe was celebrating ‘World Women’s Day’ there was no change to her daily work routine. 

She is P.P. Champa Ramani Pathirana, aged 46, and lives with her two daughters. She is separated from her husband. The village she and her offspring live in is an extremely remote-rural area. Living is very hard here. She spends her day engaged in cultivation. She starts her day early in the morning and works till night. Her struggle for existence takes places in a five acre plot of land. They spend very little on food because most of the vegetables and fruits they need are grown on their land. They sell the excess produce at the market. But they do have to buy their essentials like salt, dried-fish and other sundry food stuff.   

Deserted by her husband, 46-year-old Ramani labours in agriculture to feed her children

Ramani works hard like a man from early in the morning. She prepares the soil for planting, nurses plants, fertilizes them and attends to other needs of cultivation. She is toiling now to secure the future of her two daughters; one is preparing for the 2019 GCE O’Level Examination and the other is a year 07 student.   

She takes the agricultural produce from Watagala to Dambulla Economic Centre covering a distance of 30 kilometrers on her mini motorcycle to sell them. 

Ramani says she is never distraught by the difficulties life presents her with. She takes pride in saying that she alone toils to cultivate the five acre land. As much as two acres of the land comprises paddy. She does the ploughing herself. 

She does not like to depend on anyone for the survival of the family. This is a classic example of a determined woman sweating for the sustenance of her family. 

Ramani has studied up to the GCE Advanced level in the commerce stream. After her unsuccessful marriage she had taken up agriculture as the means of her survival.   

Her struggle for existence takes places in a five acre plot of land. They spend very little on food because and fruits they need are grown on their land

Her ambition is to educate her daughters and make them valuable citizens and also see them engage in paying careers. 

Though living in a small house having to toil hard to make a living she appears to be happy with her life, which she devotes to her two daughters. 

This courageous woman deserves appreciation for her determination and self-reliance. She has made all women proud on World Women’s Day.