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True Tales from Sri Lanka, Part I
Submitted by Gretchen Alther on Sun, 03/11/2007 - 11:02pm.
Who knew coconuts were so versatile? Fronds are used for roofs and brooms, branches make fences, wood becomes beams. Shells become bowls. The bud is pickled and eaten. Farm animals eat coconut residue. Sap is processed into a variety of beverages. In Sri Lankan cuisine, coconut is used in spicy dishes, sweet dishes, and as gravy. Babies’ first solid meal is kiri bath -- rice cooked in coconut milk. The coconut even has a role in some religious ceremonies.
And so it seems poetic that I was sipping refreshing coconut milk right out of the nut when I learned about the cottage industry the depends on the coconut husk. The husk is soaked in pits and beaten to separate the fibers. In many Sri Lankan coastal areas, women then buy the fiber and spin it into surprisingly strong coir rope. The rope is later woven into netting and doormats. Many of these fair trade mats are sold internationally as fair trade items.
Coir spinning is women’s work. It takes three people to spin, and women of all ages get involved. Because the profit margin in this cottage industry is so small, coir spinning is kept within the family. Women find time to spin in between the other responsibilities of running a household. The men go fishing or hire themselves out as day laborers. But fish and day jobs are spotty – some days there are none to be had. So, women and their coir spinning are the one source of reliable income for many families.
The Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, devastated people’s lives and livelihoods. Coir spinners lost their spinning machines, supplies of raw material, and stocks of finished product. For the last two years, with the help of organizations like Siyath Foundation, these women have been struggling to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Slowly, the coir industry is recovering.
Today, the ubiquitous coconut and the industrious woman are still the foundation of consistent income for many poor coastal families. UUSC is working together with Siyath Foundation and Sri Lankan women to ensure that women can continue to make a living.
Gretchen Alther, associate for UUSC's Rights in Humanitarian Crises program, is visiting tsunami-affected communities in Sri Lanka.
The ubiquitous coconut and the industrious woman
Who knew coconuts were so versatile? Fronds are used for roofs and brooms, branches make fences, wood becomes beams. Shells become bowls. The bud is pickled and eaten. Farm animals eat coconut residue. Sap is processed into a variety of beverages. In Sri Lankan cuisine, coconut is used in spicy dishes, sweet dishes, and as gravy. Babies’ first solid meal is kiri bath -- rice cooked in coconut milk. The coconut even has a role in some religious ceremonies.
And so it seems poetic that I was sipping refreshing coconut milk right out of the nut when I learned about the cottage industry the depends on the coconut husk. The husk is soaked in pits and beaten to separate the fibers. In many Sri Lankan coastal areas, women then buy the fiber and spin it into surprisingly strong coir rope. The rope is later woven into netting and doormats. Many of these fair trade mats are sold internationally as fair trade items.
Coir spinning is women’s work. It takes three people to spin, and women of all ages get involved. Because the profit margin in this cottage industry is so small, coir spinning is kept within the family. Women find time to spin in between the other responsibilities of running a household. The men go fishing or hire themselves out as day laborers. But fish and day jobs are spotty – some days there are none to be had. So, women and their coir spinning are the one source of reliable income for many families.
The Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, 2004, devastated people’s lives and livelihoods. Coir spinners lost their spinning machines, supplies of raw material, and stocks of finished product. For the last two years, with the help of organizations like Siyath Foundation, these women have been struggling to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Slowly, the coir industry is recovering.
Today, the ubiquitous coconut and the industrious woman are still the foundation of consistent income for many poor coastal families. UUSC is working together with Siyath Foundation and Sri Lankan women to ensure that women can continue to make a living.
