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| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
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Living on the fringe : Deserted by love and luck by Umangi de Mel Little Piumika sits in her mother's lap hoping that some kind-hearted persons would drop a few coins into her mother's outstretched hand. After all it's the Tuesday Mass and people are feeling generous.
Her mother Kumudini Perera, 38-year-old, sits just outside the 'Kochchikade church', beseeching those privileged to spare a few coins for her. She begs for rupees and cents with her three-year-old daughter in order to provide for her other two children who are schooling. "My husband's in jail. There's no point talking about him. All he's given me is these three kids. We don't depend on him anymore", says Kumudini. Her elder daughter and son, Pavitra 13, and Pramitha 9, attend school in Moratuwa. The family spend the nights in the abandoned CGR quarters in Moratuwa. "We have nowhere else to go", says Kumudini, pointing out that they were asked to leave the house,a while ago. "but how can I do that? I have an age-attained girl who needs security, she can't spend the night in the streets!" she asks. Having no friend or relative, Kumudini and her three children have decided to move on, on their own. "We have a few relations who are equally poor, but we don't know their whereabouts and they hardly know of our existence", she says. Getting used to the dusty old streets which produce no good air as muck pile up on either sides, they don't seem to care much for the wind or the rain. "Sometimes it's very warm outside but it's not like we have a choice. "Luck has little knowledge what we suffer because I'm a single parent who has to struggle to earn a living for all of us ..." she says. Kumudini goes to the 'Infant Jesus' church every Friday and Kochchikade church on Tuesdays. "People are not generous all the time but we stand a chance on these two days when people are kind of generous than other days. However we get our food regularly". She says that the two of them were kicked out of the particular 'spot' in the street, by the police. "What do they know about what we've got to go through everyday of our life? It's very convenient for them to chase us whenever they please, but I truly hope they realise how hard it is to survive the way we do in the streets", her eyes brim with tears. She explains the hardships she goes through trying to give her elder children a good education, "I don't want them to end up like me, going places to beg ... They are doing well in their studies. After school the two of them come here to help me. My daughter is determined to get me out of the streets once she's finished her studies ... I hope she'll be able to fulfil her dream", she turns her eyes towards the moving vehicles and says, "My only expectation is to get a decent place to live in, I hope and pray that somebody will be good enough to consider my situation". |
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