Breaking stereotypes brick by brick, seed by seed
Above: Chandana setting up a trellis for cucumber cultivation. Photo: World Vision Lanka
Above: Farmer and clay brick maker Chandana, 42. Photo: World Vision Lanka
Meet Chandana, a hardworking farmer and clay brick maker from a small village in Bibile, Sri Lanka.
Chandana, 42, has never let his physical and communication disabilities stop him – from a young age he has worked hard to break stereotypes and learn new skills to look after himself and his family.
He cultivates paddy fields and vegetables on his own land, making additional income in the dry season by producing clay bricks.
Above: Chandana and his parents. Photo: World Vision Lanka
He communicates with friends, family, and neighbours using a few words and self-invented sign language. He actively listens and participates in trainings and other community events.
He is also a carer, looking after his elderly parents – defying relatives’ beliefs and stereotypes that he was the one who would always need care.
Through the AHP response in Sri Lanka, known locally as RISE Lanka, Chandana received cash assistance to prepare his land for cultivation, and subsidised, high-quality climate-resilient seeds. This support improved his yield and income – without it, he would have had to borrow from exploitative lenders.
Sri Lanka faced a series of compounding crises in 2022, with farmers among the hardest hit: high inflation, shortages of many essential goods, a reduction in agricultural production over several harvest seasons and rapidly rising food prices. The AHP response in Sri Lanka is supporting nutrition and sustainable livelihoods, focusing on vulnerable groups such as women, children and people with disability.
Above: Chandana setting up a trellis for cucumber cultivation. Photo: World Vision Lanka
The RISE Lanka project supported Chandana with 20.5kgs of certified paddy seed, which resulted in a harvest of 512 kgs of quality produce. This ensured Chandana and his elderly parents had enough to consume while also giving him the option to sell some to generate income, or to purchase seeds for the next growing season. RISE Lanka also provided Chandana with a water pump and 100 feet of piping. He previously had to walk about 200 metres to fetch and carry water, but the new system makes watering his crops much easier.
Despite Chandana’s success as a farmer and entrepreneur, he still faces stigma in his wider family and community, with people holding low expectations for what he, and other people with disabilities, can achieve and contribute. He is playing a major role in challenging these attitudes though – both through his participation in RISE Lanka, as well as other World Vision initiatives such as community dialogues to drive social change.
The RISE Lanka project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership. The response is being led by World Vision Australia with World Vision Lanka and local partner NGO Sarvodaya.