As a young girl Madurani* spent most of her free time in the Oddusudan Central College playground or the kovil close to her home learning karate. However, her happy days were short-lived when she and her mother faced a hurdle from the LTTE when the two of them wanted to leave Kilinochchi to join her father who was a Poosari in London. The LTTE gave Madurani’s mother permission to leave on condition she left behind Madurani.
She was left under the wing of her Peri Amma while her mother left the country to join her husband in London. In 2007 life only got harder for Madurani when at the age of 14, she was recruited by the LTTE when the armed forces battle against the LTTE intensified.
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| A youth relaxing in the hostel |
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Not knowing anything about the outside world she had no choice but to do as the LTTE said.
But when she got the chance she made a bid for freedom along with her Peri Amma and a friend. Madurani escaped but her friend and her Peri Amma were not so lucky as they fell victim to a shell attack.
Madurani was left alone to fight her battle and she surrendered to the army in Pudumathalan.Now, one can see Madurani running along the corridors of Hindu College in Ratmalana, full of life and energy. She has found a new Peri Amma and made new friends. “If I want to find Madurani I have to look for her among the boys as she is either playing cricket or football with them,” Lieutenant H. M. J. T. Herath the Matron in charge of the girls at Hindu College fondly referred as Peri Amma says. Madurani studying in grade ten is slowly picking up on her education that was abruptly disrupted in 2007.
She wants to be a lawyer one day she tells me, her bright eyes shining with hope. “Why?”, I ask her. “One of my brothers is a doctor in Canada while one sister is a teacher in London so I want to be a lawyer, then the picture will be complete,” she says enthusiastically.
Madurani is the only family member out of seven who is left behind in Sri Lanka. She has three brothers and two sisters but she hasn’t been able to contact any of them or her father who is a Poosari in the Murugan Kovil in Britain
“I lost all my telephone numbers and addresses when I was fleeing the LTTE, so I haven’t been able to contact them at all,” she says.
Eighteen –year-old Gokul* will be sitting for his Ordinary Level examination this year. When he was forcefully recruited to the LTTE in 2007 he was to sit for the exam but all hopes were dashed then.
“I was beaten often by the LTTE. One day some of us ran away and we hid in the jungle for more than one year and three months. One of them is here with me, but I don’t know what happened to the rest,” he says sorrowfully.
His favourite subject is Mathematics he tells me, adding, that he wants to be a teacher like his friend Sujeevan* who is in school with him so that they will be together in the future also.
His parents and his younger sisters are still in a Vavuniya camp but they keep in touch with him over the phone.
“They tell me that I should study and do well,” he says. Recalling the by gone years when he used to play with his neighbours back in his hometown he yearns to go back home as soon as possible. “I was happy there and want to go back as soon as possible,” Gokul says.
When asked if he had made any new friends, he points out to fellow students and is quick to add that he made a lot of army friends while he was at the Ambepussa rehabilitation centre.
While Gokul and his friends were talking to me their English language teacher comes hunting for them for skipping the afternoon class held for O/L and A/L students. A mild complaint is made to the Officer in Charge Major Herman Fernando who shoos them off to class.
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| Major Fernando. |
The atmosphere of the school and the hostel is homely. Even though uniformed police officers are on guard at the gate, once inside its like any other boarding school or even better.
Major Herath who they all refer to as ‘Periya Sir’ is more of a father figure than a figure of authority.
Madurani and a few of her friends who were highly taken up by our photographer pestered Major Fernando to take a picture with them. Major Fernando who was greatly out numbered by the group of energetic youngsters finally yielded to the request displaying the easy-going informal set up rarely seen in other rehabilitation centres.
According to Major Fernando many of the students are adjusting to the new life and are enjoying their regained childhood although most want to go back home soon.
“Some of them still find it difficult to adjust. Some have not slept in a proper bed for a long time so they are not used to it and still sleep on the floor next to their bed. And they sleep very little. Sometimes even after their bedtime, which is 10 pm. And sometimes early in the morning I find some of the boys taking a bath. Many of them have not seen Colombo at all, so sometimes they fake illness so that they have an outing to the hospital and can see the city,” Major Fernando said.
Like in any other facility dealing with adolescents Major Fernando and Lieutenant Herath have their fair share of problems and trouble makers.
“Some children don’t like attending classes. They stay back and sleep so we have to go round making sure they don’t boycott classes. When they first came here they had quite a different attitude towards the people in the south. They were made to believe we were all out to get them. So to change that mind set is quite a process,” he said.
The commissioner of rehabilitation Major General Daya Ratnayake said over 600 ex-combatants who are minors are in the rehabilitation programme.
These youth have been separated into two groups, some for formal education and others for vocational training. According to Major General Ratnayake the programme will cost over Rs. 35 million and leading business groups, religious groups and individuals have come forward to fund the programme.
The programme will get off the ground at the beginning of next year but most of the work has already begun he said. The Education Ministry has allocated additional teachers to the school and some of the schools in Colombo have agreed to send their teachers to conduct extra classes for the students who are sitting the O/Level this year.
During school holidays the children will be put through various programmes including psychological and counseling sessions. After one year a committee consisting of psychiatrists, educationalists and other professionals will assess the condition of each child and recommend whether he or she is ready to be fully integrated into society.
*Names have been changed to protect identities |
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