Kaliyappan family
Village: Koozhaiyaru Ponnanththittu
Special Panchayat: Killai
Kaliyappan, a fisherman, lives with his wife, a fish vendor, and their two sons in Koozhaiyaru village. In the pre-tsunami days Kaliyappan earned between Rs 40 to Rs 100 a day. On some days he took his catamaran out to sea, but on most days, he worked as a labourer.
The tsunami destroyed Kaliyappan's catamaran and along with it his livelihood. In the aftermath of the tsunami, his family subsisted solely on relief materials with no hope of resuming their fishing related activities.
It was at this point that Kaliyappan and his group received an FRP boat and two nets from the CAF-Bless rehabilitation programme. Kaliyappan felt his status in the community improve immediately as he had now become a boat owner. He currently earns between Rs 200 to Rs 250 a day and claims, "Never before have I had so much work." His borrowings from moneylenders have gone down and his group has pooled money to buy additional fishing nets.
The team has two women members. The women members do all the onshore work such as preparing and selling dried fish. They receive an equal share of the income.
Kaliyappan feels that his life has improved manifold as a result of the help provided by CAF-Bless. He has observed a similar improvement in the lives of his group mates.
Ulaganathan family
Village: Chinnur North
Panchayat: C. Pudhupettai
Ulaganathan lives in Chinnur North with his wife Dharmasthadevi and their two school-going children. In the pre-tsunami days he worked as a labourer on a fishing boat and earned about Rs 60 a day. There were days when he was unemployed and there was not enough money to support his family. The tsunami made things worse for him as it not only deprived him of work but also damaged his house.
The assistance provided by CAF-Bless to Ulaganathan and his team of five changed their lives dramatically. They were given a boat and two nets and now go out fishing everyday. Their daily incomes range from Rs 150 to Rs 300. The team members have contributed money towards buying nets and are able to pay for the maintenance and running costs of their boat.
Ulaganathan now earns enough to lead a comfortable life. He no longer finds it difficult to spend on his children's education or on his family's medical needs. He is also building a permanent home for his family. His wife is a member of a self-help group and contributes towards household savings.
Manickavel family
Village: Koozhaiyaru Ponnanthittu
Special Panchayat: Killai
Manickavel is a resident of village Koozhaiyaru. His wife stays at home and looks after their two small children.
Before the tsunami hit, Manickavel owned a catamaran. His day at sea would begin at 2:00 am and he would return home by 7:00 pm. with a rather modest catch. Selling fish brought him in an income of Rs 50 to Rs 150 per day. This income was not sufficient to meet his expenses and Manickavel often borrowed money from moneylenders.
The tsunami destroyed Maniackayel's catamaran and nets. CAF-Bless provided him and his team with help in the form of a boat and two nets.
The team now goes out to sea almost every day at 4:00 am and returns by 7:00 pm. During peak season they go out to the sea two or three times a day. Their incomes have increased to more than Rs 150 a day, and during peak season they earn more than Rs 750 a day. They are able to go out as far as 20 kms to catch expensive fish.
Manickavel's wife has joined a self-help group and saves Rs 55 every month. He and his wife also pay a monthly subscription of Rs 75 each, to a fishermen's cooperative. Manickavel says that he and his team-mates lead a more comfortable life than before, and that they are headed in the right direction.