Seva Vanitha Unit of the Defence Ministry gives a helping hand

A home for our unsung heroes

By Ayesha R. Rafiq

In a country torn apart by war for more than 16 years, there is ample opportunity for heroes to emerge. But when a war has raged on for so long, it is those who have sacrificed and contributed outstandingly who are applauded, helped, showered with praise, fame and glory, at least for a while. And they deserve every bit of it.

But there are other unsung heroes too, whose courage lies in the fact that they endure great difficulties in silence. Lives of hardship in remote villages, desperate lives lost in mental institutions, lives spent silently contributing to bettering other lives. Brave men and women living silently and unnoticed, but so desperately in need of help.

And help is what the Seva Vanitha Unit of the Ministry of Defence, established in 1997 in a bid to mend and raise broken spirits, is giving them.

The unit is currently involved in its biggest project yet, a house-building project providing housing for needy service personnel.

Since the programme began in July last year, 246 service families from every part of the country except the North have been provided finance to build their homes. A varying amount going up to Rs. 250,000 is provided to each family, depending on whether they buy the land and build the house, or already own the land and require the money to build a house.

The loans are interest free and repayable within 15 years, but among the conditions of the loan are that the house cannot be rented or sold thereafter. The money is raised by way of donations, raffles, funds from the President's Fund and various fund-raising activities.

The recipients are those service personnel disabled in the war or those most deserving of such assistance, or the families of deceased personnel. The loans are eagerly awaited and always over-applied for and are well deserved compensation for people who may never lead normal lives again for no fault of their own. Like that of a recipient soldier, whose only plea is that someone, somewhere just for one minute restores the sight in at least one of his eyes, both blinded in a grenade attack, so that he may for one moment see his baby son, born one month after he went blind.

In a thoughtful and highly welcome gesture, the unit has engaged the assistance of the National Engineers' Research and Development Centre to build 14 houses on one acre of land in Pallekele, gifted by the Mahaweli Ministry. Admittedly one cannot build much of a house with Rs. 250,000, says Mrs. R. Ratwatte, President of the Unit. And the houses surrounding the land in Pallekele are so beautiful, that the Unit was reluctant to spoil the harmony of the scene by putting up shacks, which could become an eyesore, she said. So they enlisted NERD to help design houses which while fitting the budget would blend in with the neighbourhood and not stick out like a sore thumb.

But service personnel are not the only ones to benefit from the Unit's welfare work. Village rehabilitation is another item very much on their agenda and long term rather than short-term benefit is their aim.

The children in Kochchikawewagama in the Kebithigollawa district often went to school only twice a week. They were playing truant however, not out of laziness or mischief, but simply because they were too tired. The five to 10-year-old children could not manage the six miles they had to walk daily to get to school, since no vehicles passed on the unmotorable paths to even give them a lift part of the way. But each family now owns a bicycle, the temple owns two and two Montessori teachers who come in from other villages to teach the children one each, thanks to the efforts of the Seva Vanitha Unit.

The inmates of Ward 15 of the Mulleriyawa Mental Hospital are another group who have felt the warm generosity and sympathy of the Unit. New mattresses were donated to the inmates, beds were painted, and during the Christmas season the ward becomes one big party with balloons, ice-cream and Santa Claus. The female inmates themselves are adorned in bangles, chains and other costume jewellery gifted to them by the Unit. 'Simple things which may seem unnecessary, but things which help put a rare smile on their faces,' says Mrs. Ratwatte.

The Unit conducts many other small projects but all of them need finance, gifts from a society grateful for and appreciative and mindful of the hardships these people live with daily in order that they may live an extra happy day.

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