Sri Lanka
An Internally Displaced Woman's Story
Manjula, a young wife and mother, has been displaced 19 times due to fighting in Sri Lanka. She has taken refuge in a camp with her husband and 18 month old daughter, because they have nowhere else to go. She is simply grateful that her family is alive and safe from the violence.
Before coming to the camp, Manjula was trapped with a number of others in a small village under the control of the LTTE. The area was surrounded with barbed wire and thick, sand walls. They were initially provided with meals, but as time passed they began to get less and less food. Her daughter was screaming with hunger, and there was nothing she could do. Her husband attempted to escape with them nine times. On the ninth time he was caught and severely beaten.
Eventually, a group of men managed to break through one of the sand walls. As her husband carried their daughter, Manjula’s family escaped the bullets of the LTTE. While escaping, both of Manjula’s feet were injured in an explosion, but she was forced to continue running. As they crossed a river that was up to her neck, the family was spotted by the Sri Lankan army and was placed in a refugee camp where Act for Peace’s partners are providing food, shelter, hygiene services and education. When asked about the future of her family, Manjula responded, “Now, we are here waiting for a peaceful day to restart our lives.”
