Creating a culture dependent on foreign aid is not beneficial to anybody in the long run. For this reason Healing Humanity believes that assisting people in taking back control of their own livelihoods to be of the utmost importance. When families are able to generate an income and provide for themselves there is a strong sense of self worth re-established.

In Batticaloa, Sri Lanka there are two kinds of families who need this form of assistance. The first are families who had some form of successful business practice in the past, however had their ability to work taken away when the tsunami came and washed away all their tools.

Fishermen are an example of this. They had steady work and a reasonable income till they lost their fishing nets, boats, knives etc. We were able to provide assistance to one man who was a very well respected mechanic, however the wave washed away absolutely everything from his workshop to his house. Another example is women who were able to bring in some extra money by sewing. These types of people want to work, not receive free handouts, they have the training and will, simply lack the tools to continue generating an income.

The second are people who lived in poverty before the tsunami hit. Illiteracy, alcoholism, no jobs, philological issues, traumatized from the war, or simply because they are a low caste, can all be contributing factors to their current poverty. These people are sometimes so accustomed to living hand to mouth that they can’t possibly imagine earning an income to support them instead of begging, however there are many others that are very keen to learn how to manage an income.

A mother and her daughter where left alone after all the men in their life were either killed or taken prisoner in the civil conflict. They lived on the street begging for money. A low standard of education is offered free in Sri Lanka and the young girl studied very hard to get a college scholarship. The mother and daughter were only able to beg for enough money to provide either a bus fare to college or for food to eat. So the young girl, with such a strong belief that if she could be educated she could break the cycle of poverty, would take the bus and never eat. After blacking out in class several times from being so malnourished the school asked her to stop coming. Healing Humanity was able to get these women a chicken farm started, on some land their uncle was generous enough to provide. Now they have food, medicine, bus fare, as well as school books and the daughter is excelling in her studies.

Karan the mechanic shows off his new tools.	Woman with a new sewing machine.	This bike will give this lady the ability to deliver more papers than by walking, nearly tripling her income.