By Virginia Moncrieff
As part of its operations in Sri Lanka
to assist those affected by the devastating tsunami last December, IOM
is helping survivors to regain a livelihood. In the eastern district of
Batticaloa, a group of widows are again able to earn money by weaving mats.
The group of 45 women are experienced mat weavers who lost everything in the 26 December tsunami. Since then, they have been living in camps in Batticaloa, in Sri Lanka's east of the country in a worrying plight. They are widows and have been without any means to earn a living since the disaster.
Mat weaving is a time-honoured professional craft in Sri Lanka and ideal for home based work. Mats are woven out of long strips of natural grass that have been dried and dyed. Mat weavers make sleeping mats and floor coverings. The whole drying, dying and weaving process is usually done by one worker which means that there are few overheads in this relatively streamlined cottage industry.
As part of its efforts to help survivors of the tsunami back on their feet, IOM has been running a livelihood restoration programme funded by the Japanese government. It has already provided toolkits to carpenters. Of particularly concern to IOM is ensuring single headed households receive appropriate assistance, post-tsunami.
The 45 women helped in this project were made widows by the tsunami or by the years of conflict in the region. They are part of a group of 80 widows currently living in IOM camps.
To enable them to earn again, the women have been given weaving kits to allow them to make mats again. The kit consists of a mat weaving machine, a pot for boiling the grass for softening and dying, 40 grams of dye and enough natural grass for 21 mats. Each assistance package cost US$ 40.
"The women we have helped have been relying on charity since they lost all their equipment," says Tamara Chafee, IOM livelihood coordinator. "They are all experienced weavers who lost the means to make money. By this simple livelihood package, they no longer have to rely on handouts but can look after their families once again."
For the women weavers, the assistance means not only regaining their independence, but also their dignity.
The remaining 35 widows identified in IOM camps have diverse interests in small business, raising livestock and sewing. They too will be assisted by IOM.