Abiman Matha:

A mother of 21 children

By Shanika SRIYANANDA in Balangoda

"Oh my god ... leeches", I shrieked at the top of my voice as more than ten leeches crept up my legs. I was breathless and didn't know what the next course of action should be as it was my first encounter with a swathe of leeches. When I tried to take one out another clung to my finger and crept on my fingers. Since there was no road to the wattle and daub house, up a slope and slippery foot path in the gloomy rubber plantation filled with leeches."Ane none baya wenna epa", (Don't be afraid) the soothing and gentle voice chased away my fears. While gently picking leeches one by one, she giggled. Our unexpected visit to Podi Nona made her to stop sweeping the final portion of her garden which had a greeny forest cover.

She is exceptional but yet a humble village woman. The beauty she was in a by-gone era. She was in the limelight as she had created history as the woman who had given birth to the most number of children.

Giving birth to 21 children - 14 boys and seven girls - is yet hard to fathom but it's true as all her children have birth certificates to prove it. Ten of her children are no more. Except the second child, others died due to natural causes in their old age. She lost her third son five-months ago.

Belonging to a family of estate workers, Wallipulli Mudiyanselage Podi Nona, who was born in 1927, lives in a half acre plot of land in the remote hamlet of Walegepola, Godakawela. She has never stepped into a school due to poverty. She started working in the estate from her tender age to help her parents who struggled to feed four mouths. The new worker -the 23-year-old youth Chalosingho, a native of Kalutara, who was among 50 others brought to the estate caught the heart of the 14-year-old village lass, Podi Nona. As law prohibited a minor from marrying they had put her age as 16 on their marriage certificate.

The marriage didn't make Podi Nona's life any rosier and the young couple had to struggle to survive with megre earnings from being estate workers. "Our daily wage was Rs.10. It was sufficient when we had a few children. But later it became difficult as we had to feed many", the 85-year-old Podi Nona recalled.

Although life was tough, it was full of happiness as each year a baby was born in the little house. Blessed with a baby boy called Amaradasa at the beginning her second daughter died when she was barely two-years due to not being wormed.

Chalosingho	Podinona

When one by one kept adding to the family, her relatives asked her to adopt birth control measures but Podi Nona who believed that it was a blessing from God was quite happy. "I never felt them being a burden. We fed and took care of them carefully. 'Ane amme man oaya pavu weda kale nae. (I didn't have any drug to abort). I welcomed everyone until God said it was 'over'", her giggles echoed to the far end of the rubber plantation.

Podi Nona was never admitted to a hospital to have her children as Chalosingho had helped her in each delivery. " He is a wonderful husband. He was there with me for each delivery", Podi Nona taking us into the room which was their 'labour room' said.

With no injections, antibiotics and pain killers, the indigenous medicine formular comprising Neem oil, leaves, coriander and ginger, prepared by Chalosingho made her safe and gave her relief after every birth.

"Can you remember all their names?" I asked 'kiri Amma'. "Yes" she proudly recalled their names from the eldest - Amaradasa to Piyaseelii, Hemawathi, Premawathi, Irangani, Milton, Hendiriksingho to the youngest -Nandapala. She never addressed them by their names or nick names put called them as 'Puthe' (son).

Podi Nona described the daunting task of feeding and raising 21 children. "The two of us got up before three in the morning and cooked nearly three kilos of rice and one kilo of dhal curry for breakfast before we leave for work on the estate. The older children looked after the younger ones. Only those who like to study were sent to school. With our daily earnings we fed our children well", Podi Nona said.

After work, while she was busy cooking lunch Chalosingho took the small ones for a bath. "It was so nice when we huddled together and slept as one family in our tiny hall. I and my husband protected them well. He didn't allow even a mosquito to bite them.

We loved our children very much", Podi Nona said adding that she only had arguments when Chalosingho punished the children for their mischievous behaviour.

They had no big hopes for their children, the couple had only one task - feeding their 21 children. Podi Nona never grumbled over their hardships as she dreamed of days to spend the evening of her life surrounded by all her children.

But, her tiny house which was filled with many voices, is an empty nest, today. If not for her granddaughters Ranjini (30) who looks after her and Damayanthi who visits her weekly she would be isolated. "Kiri Amma never did not scold anyone. Though her children don't come to see her, she prays for them.

No visitor to her house is allowed to leave without having at least a cup of tea. She is a generous and courageous person", said Damayanthi, who informed the Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister of the Sabaragamuwa Province Banu Manupriya, about her grandmother being a mother of 21 children.

Podi Nona received the 'Abiman Matha' Award from President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently. Podi Nona clad in a 'redda and hetta' was among the mothers who had more than eight children from the Sabaragamuwa province. " Minister Banu was suprised when I told him that my 'kiri amma' gave birth to 21 children. He didn't believe until one of his officers - Chandima- confirmed it", Damayanthi explained the task of bringing Podi Nona up the road from her house which is up a hill.

Damayanthi, who is separated from her husband, who is a soldier, returned home with her two-year-old daughter. "Kiri amma told me that she would look after me and my daughter. She told me: Uba wedi ne mata kelle (You are not a burden)", Damayanthi earned her living by working at the tea factory.

Having a stoop, Podi Nona had no complaint about ill health. Eating less food, drinking milk twice a day if she has the money to buy a packet of milk powder, a vegetarian diet, and less stress are the main causes for her long life.

Podi Nona does all her work while cooking food early in the morning. Her house is clean and tidy with very little furniture. Recently she had applied clay and dung on walls and the floor of the house which was built by herself some years ago.

She still mourns the death of Chalosingho, who she says was a wonderful husband who treated her and all her children well despite their poverty.

"I do not have any illness. I have never got a headache. I drink sesame oil when I feel sick", Podi Nona is sad as she could not listen to 'bana' on her radio as she has a slight hearing impairment.

"Kelle oya Janadipathi Unnanse dunnu eka genath pennanna (show the Award given by the President). When I saw the President I felt like I had seen God. He blessed me with long life", Podi Nona's eyes were shining when she showed the small plaque, the Abiman Matha Award given to her by President Mahinda Rajapaksa."There were 21 children in this house but today... ". she didn't say any more. Kiri Amma's voice got emotional and tears were gushing down as she couldn't explain her loneliness.

"Whenever a woman is in labour she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world." - John 16:21.