Gender and Technology Training Guidelines
My mother is self employed. She handles tailoring orders till 12.30 p.m. I do the
gardening till about 10.00 am. After that I do homework of my English class. Mother
goes to the well for a bath before lunch. I don’t like to bathe in the hot sun. Our well
is in the middle of a paddy field. Younger sister comes home at about 4.30 p.m.
Mother and I collect firewood, coconut fronts and other things needed for the dinner.
We go to the boutique in the evening. Sister and I draw the water from the well. We
fill all pots, buckets and other utensils because our well is not walled and it is not
wise to go there in the night.
After that my sister irons her school uniforms. As we do not have electricity she uses
four to five coconut shells to heat the iron. By 6.00 p.m. we finish everything. Before
we light the bottle lamps we offer flowers to the Lord Buddha and vow to observe the
five precepts. Then we close the doors and windows and light the lamps. After a little
chit chat mother goes back to the sewing machine and sister to the studies. I give a
hand to mothers work. By 8.00 p.m. we are ready for bed. We chant “Karaneeya
Metha Suthra“ for about seven to eight times. I read library books till 10.30 - 11.00
p.m.
Many others who write to you watch television. We listen to radio dramas. Our life
flows like that unless we boil jak during the season or a visitor comes or someone gets
sick.
Samanthi Elapatha,
Padukka.
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