Standing up for Small-Scale Farmers
Dayaseeli has supported herself and raised her two children on what she can grow on two acres of land after losing her husband in the 1980s. During that time, she says life for many small-scale farmers has become increasingly harder. She helps other women who, like her, are eking out a living on small plots while their husbands look for work in the urban areas.
A switch to an eco-agricultural approach has made a difference. Dayaseeli no longer borrows money to buy costly hybrid seeds and fertilisers. Instead she makes her own compost and sprays. She saves her seeds and swaps plants with others in her group.
Dayaseeli says joining the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR), a Christian World Service partner, has given her an opportunity to participate in workshops and local planning forums where people can address their most urgent concerns.
"MONLAR over the years has helped us with sustainable agriculture and promoted the rights of peasants.... We are a changed people," Dayaseeli says.
The largest issue on the agenda of the planning forum is the wild elephants that live nearby.
The 65-year-old says when she was younger, elephants walked freely to find the food and water they needed. Mostly they avoided any sign of habitation and would disappear when they saw humans. With large-scale plantations and the building of a major seaport in the region, the landscape has changed. The 300-400 elephants and other wildlife in Hambantota where she lives, have lost a quarter of their forest. Desperate for food and water, the elephants are clashing with the small farmers. Elephants and people are being killed. Homes and crops have been destroyed.
"There is fear and panic. Parents are afraid to send their children to school. People are afraid to take their produce to the market on motorcycles. The fear has crippled the social and economic life of the village," she says.
Dayaseeli has been a strong advocate for a solution for the people and the elephants in her community.
MONLAR has successfully campaigned for funding for the first half of a ten kilometre fence that was completed last November. This is a significant victory for farmers after a prolonged struggle and an example of what can be gained when small-scale farmers work together to find solutions to local challenges.
Many small-scale farmers are standing on the brink of disaster. Please support farmers to learn climate resilient agriculture and address big challenges like elephants and the lack of water. Donate now or call CWS Office: 08007473732.