Gender and Technology Training Guidelines
A DAY IN MY LIFE
CASE 3
I am not writing this to get a present from you or to get my name published in the
Navaliya. I hope that this will be useful to you. Our village is seven miles away from
Kandy town. Surrounded by paddy fields, a stream and a tea estate our environment
is very peaceful.
I get up at 4.30 am. After making tea I prepare parcels of rice for my children to take
to the school. I prepare the breakfast. My eldest daughter is 19 years old and the
youngest is 11 years. They leave home at 6.30 am.
My husband sweeps the front yard before he goes to work. He draws the water also.
Our Garden is about half an acre. He goes around the garden to collect firewood and
ripe fruits. He leaves home at 7.45 am. After that I am alone with three pups and a
kitten. They keep me company until I clean the house. Then I wash our clothes.
Now I am 45 years old, retired prematurely from a government clerk’s job. I love to
eat fruits for breakfast. We have many fruits in our garden and sell the excess fruits. I
buy eggs, fish and meat out of that. After 12.00 noon I am free to listen to the radio.
Our children come home at about 2.30 p.m. After that we take lunch together. They
love to eat jak, breadfruit and yams with meat, fish or dry fish. When we have such
things I won’t cook rice. Children attend to their studies from 3.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
They do not attend to tuition classes. I help them in all subjects except dancing and
music. They are good in their studies. I am proud of them.
At about 5.30 p.m. we sweep the house and light the Buddha lamp. The television is
not a hindrance to us because we watch selected programmes. By about 9.30 p.m.
we go to bed. I have something special to tell you. Our monthly income is less than
Rs. 5000/- . But we manage well. We do not have high hopes. If you are coming this
way please drop in here. Many beautiful birds come to our garden. I’ll write to you if
someone gets sick.
Thilaka Siriwardana
Muruthalawa.
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