We have all collectively witnessed the re-appreciation of the Sri Lankan Rupee and the country’s attempts at picking itself back up. However, there appears to be a delay in the transfer of these somewhat favourable times to the general public.
While the nation is certainly in a far better place than we were at this time last year, if one were to speak to any cross-section of the general public, particularly those who fall within the lower income brackets, things haven’t improved all that much.
In the run-up to Mother’s Day, those of us in our privileged bubbles are seeing the usual ads and promotions for Mother’s Day teas, buffets, platters, and gifts. The corporate machine is back at work (it didn’t take a break last year either, but that’s an altogether different story), peddling experiences to make every mother feel ‘extra special’ on Mother’s Day. But what of the mothers outside the bubble of privilege?
Last year, in celebration of Mother’s Day, The Sunday Morning Brunch reached out to several ordinary mothers – those who were feeling the stress of the economic crisis – on how they, as mothers, had been faring during the turbulent times. This year, Brunch reached out to those same mothers – Lechchimi, S. Chithra, and Rashmika Damyanthi – to see if their situation had improved and if they were actually experiencing what the country was projecting – a whiff of better, more prosperous times.
A sense of relief, but not in the way you’d expect
Lechchimi, a daily wage earner and domestic helper with one adult son and one younger son sitting for his O/Levels this year, shared last year that one of her biggest concerns was the fear of not being able to provide for her youngest so that he could comfortably sit for his exams. She also worried that her older son would fall in with the wrong crowd because of his struggle to become employed.
One year later, Lechchimi said that while her fears had not subsided, she nevertheless felt a sense of relief now that her son’s exams were just around the corner. “I don’t know if he will do well, but at least it will be over soon. I know that he will then want to do the other exam also. He is very resourceful and I have faith that he will try his best in this exam, although I was not able to provide the help he needed, at least not as much as I wanted to,” she said.
Up until a few months ago, Lechchimi was the only breadwinner in the house, her husband being physically unable to do any work. However, her older son had been able to find certain odd jobs over the past few months, which has alleviated some of her worries.
“He is finally getting some work around the town and he is being responsible with his money. He contributes enough so that I do not have to worry about meals,” she said, adding that since her youngest too would soon have some free time, she felt that things were turning around.
However, since everyone has been experiencing financial difficulties, she has struggled to find work for herself: “As a domestic worker, I earn a daily wage and I often check with the ladies in the area the night before to see if I can come in the next day. These days, people are cutting costs, so they only have me over on the weekend to attend to accumulated work or to assist them in their housework, as opposed to hiring me for the whole afternoon.”
Double incomes the only way to make ends meet
S. Chithra is a grandmother of two school-going children who are 12 and seven years old. They are her daughter’s children and she looks after them when her daughter leaves home for work. Her daughter is a daily wage earner whose husband is currently unemployed, having lost his job as a driver during the height of the pandemic.
While last year, the daughter’s husband had struggled to find steady work and had undertaken odd jobs around the area, he had recently found some consistent jobs. Chithra noted that while things had felt incredibly difficult last year, especially with her son-in-law being unemployed and with everything becoming so expensive, this year they were better off now that their income had somewhat doubled.
“Everything is so expensive, so the income doubling has not really made much of a difference, but at least it gives us peace of mind that the family will be alright even if one were to fall ill or if my daughter doesn’t have work for one day,” she said.
“My grandchildren are also grown up now and they understand a lot more than they should. It is sad to see that they have to understand so much in life, so early. But that is the way sometimes and because they understand that we have to work harder to give them better things, they don’t ask for much. I think this is good for them too, as a life lesson,” she said.
Chithra shared that she was constantly concerned about her grandchildren because she was also growing older and there was a limit to how long she could care for them. “I am worried about them now because they are young, but hopefully I am around until they are grown,” she said.
Accessibility is its own form of luxury
Rashmika Damyanthi shared that while her financial situation had not changed compared to last year, things were a lot easier now that there was no major issue in sourcing milk powder, purchasing kerosene, and so on.
“I was so worried last year because my son had to go to school on an empty stomach several times. I did not have milk powder and because we were cooking with kerosene, I couldn’t heat anything up quickly,” she said.
Rashmika also noted that she had been compelled to put a stop to all of her son’s extracurricular activities last year. She then shared that she had not yet been able to earn enough to have a disposable income that was sufficient to pay for such extra classes and activities.
A note for Mother’s Day
As Sri Lanka celebrates Mother’s Day, it is important that we recognise the efforts of all mothers, especially those who continue to experience the aftereffects of the country’s financial crisis and continue to do their best to keep their families going.