Early challenges of settlement

Having lived in Kebbetigollawe since her birth, Chintani – now 40 years old, was content to have found her husband from the same locality. However, married life found them residing in his family's ancestral home while he tirelessly worked as a sales representative for a leasing company. They dreamt of a place to call their own, yearning for stability. Their fortunes shifted when news of government-allocated land in Vanni reached them. With hopeful hearts, they applied and were granted half an acre of land in 2014 for building a house and home garden. They joined a diverse community of settlers, among Tamil and Sinhala families, finding promise and opportunity in their new start.

In their early days as settlers in Vanni, Chintani and her husband faced significant challenges. By 2016, after years of perseverance, they received vital government assistance in the form of raw materials and financial aid, enabling them to construct a modest home with two rooms, a kitchen, and a sitting area. "We were allocated half an acre for paddy cultivation, but it was thick with forest initially," Chintani shared, recalling their early days in Vanni. "The division among settlers took much longer than expected." With a hint of concern, she continued, "Despite owning our home on paper, the unclear land title remained a constant worry, overshadowing our efforts to build a stable life here."

Ploughing through challenges

Life in Vanni brought challenges, including severe droughts that strained their water supply despite building a well in 2020, which often dried up during dry spells, posing ongoing water security issues. Wild animals, especially marauding monkeys, threatened their home garden's produce. Chintani's husband sustained their livelihood with his job at a leasing company. Their third child's birth brought joy amidst the toil, while Chintani supported her husband in this unfamiliar terrain, navigating without a secure income of her own.

Amidst COVID-19 and economic uncertainties in 2022, Chintani's husband faced health setbacks while working in Colombo. Working tirelessly away from the family, he juggled local jobs and vehicle rentals until debilitating headaches and a sudden heart attack altered their course. With surgery pending and his ability to work diminished, their future seemed uncertain. Before his illness, they had cleared their lorry's lease, a beacon of past financial success. Remembering prospects in Vavuniya, he proposed a transformative idea: using their lorry to launch a food business. With Chintani's culinary skills, they aimed to overcome adversity.

Eager to expand their horizons, 2023 saw them embarking on a new venture in Vavuniya, where they set up shop selling homemade delicacies from their beloved lorry.  Rising at midnight, they prepared a feast of traditional food including string hoppers, thosai, vadai, lavariya, well before the world stirred, and began sales at 4 a.m. Despite the predawn hours and the weight of their challenges, their resilience shone through, yielding daily earnings ranging from Rs. 5,000 to 6,000, providing a lifeline during their most trying times.

Yet, their journey was fraught with hardship: "We faced disputes over parking, lacked an Urban Council permit, and were pressured by the Public Health Inspectors and the Urban Development Authority to switch from our lorry to a stall," Chintani recounted, reflecting on their challenges amidst ethnic tensions. "We operated for only half-day due to these setbacks and daily diesel cost around Rs. 1,000, so profitability was a constant struggle," she added. Despite this, they persevered for a year, supplementing income with Chintani's kavili (traditional sweetmeats) supplied to village shops, yielding modest returns of Rs. 300-400 daily.

New beginnings

The couple connected with the Small Enterprises Development Division and sought help with their UDA challenges. With their assistance, they secured a spot at Vanni Green Market, which was established with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka through the Japan Supplementary Budget-funded project during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. Here, Chintani set up her stall serving kole kenda and kurakkan kenda (traditional herbal juices) in the mornings. With the backing of UNDP’s Funding Windows, supported by the Government of Luxembourg, she was able to expand to include traditional food like string hoppers, vadai, lavraiya, and kiri bath. Responding to demand, they added thosai, idli, and rice to their breakfast menu, establishing a bustling presence in the market since its inception.

To accommodate their schedule, they rented two rooms in a building opposite the market, where they stay during the week while their children attend school nearby. They return to their village on weekends, preparing anew for the bustling market days starting early Monday morning. Chintani manages the food preparation, beginning as early as 1 a.m., with her husband assisting in the meticulous preparation of their expanding menu – nearing 10 varieties now – crafted partly at home and directly at their stall.

Community-building

Chintani's daily routine thrives on cooperation and camaraderie at the bustling Vanni Green Market. "I've learned to adapt to the demands," she shared. "I now get most vegetables and raw materials from fellow vendors, while outsourcing items like pittu, string hoppers, thosai, vadai, and idli to manage my work.” Despite this, she takes pride in preparing all curries herself—canned fish, dried fish, soya, and a variety of vegetable curries that enhance her offerings. Their hard work pays off with daily earnings averaging Rs. 15,000 to 18,000, peaking on busy market days like Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.  By midday, the stall evolves, offering hot rotis and lunch packs at Rs. 200, catering to diverse tastes and cementing their place as a cornerstone of the market community.

Their meticulous cost management keeps daily expenses at Rs. 8,000, securing a minimum daily profit of Rs. 6,000. This stability underscores lessons from their Field Officer, who guided them in cost estimation and meticulous record-keeping.

Recognizing the need for efficient hygiene practices, Chintani and her husband recently installed a dedicated sink in their stall, enhancing their ability to maintain cleanliness and streamline food preparation. This thoughtful addition has fostered a sense of unity among the vendors showing their community spirit.

Sustaining stability

In their journey at the Vanni Green Market, Chintani and her husband have built a thriving livelihood marked by resilience and resourcefulness. Starting with just Rs. 3,000, Chintani wisely invested in utensils and essentials for their stall—plastic bowls, plates, glasses, and more. Support from their parents, who provided rice from their fields, helped overcome initial challenges, laying the foundation for their successful venture.

"In those early days, we budgeted every rupee wisely," she reflected, "buying essentials daily as we built our reputation through hard work and dedication. Our loyal customers became our backbone, helping us grow and attract orders from government offices and other organizations too. Now, our earnings support our children easily meeting their needs". Fulfilling these requests boosted their confidence, turning their market stall into a symbol of hope and success.

Preparing for the future

Despite ongoing challenges, including costly repairs for their essential lorry, Chintani and her husband persevered, reinvesting market earnings to restore it gradually. Chintani's financial foresight saw her opening a daily savings account, setting aside Rs. 2,000—a symbol of their newfound stability. Their market stall, more than a business, became a transformative lifeline. By avoiding a costly monthly rental that could exceed Rs. 20,000, they sustained and expanded their business. Amidst vendor solidarity, they fostered a supportive environment where mutual success thrived, showcasing resilience and forward-thinking in their approach.

In this inspiring tale of resilience, Chintani and her husband have not only found a livelihood but have also cultivated a community around their stall. Through determination, adaptability, and unwavering perseverance, they've turned adversity into opportunity, demonstrating that with courage and collaboration, dreams can indeed take root and flourish against all odds.