Extraordinary Courage of an Ordinary Man

January 2020 - We as human beings tend to take a step back or make an excuse when it comes to not achieving our dreams. On the contrary, we come across people who beat challenges, turn all negative circumstances to positives and redefine successes. It requires courage and perseverance for a person with a disability to live a life while beating all odds that come along. Moreover, it is certainly inspiring to note how these differently-abled people overcame challenges when their lives were going tough.  

Is it possible to keep smiling through all the pricks that life throws at you? The story of Wasantha Pushpakumara, a 47 years old man who lives alone in a dismantled house in Pelawatte is the perfect example to prove, if a hopeful attitude is combined with a purposeful living, anyone can lead a contented life. “I was unconscious for full 8 months in 2003 and when I regained my conscience, I realized that I cannot walk for the rest of my life. Since then I was on this wheelchair”, said Wasantha. 

Wasantha is a very active and determined man for whom the current state or age did not matter in continuing his day to day work. He loves his life and strongly believes that if a person works hard by his/her difficulties, one can achieve anything in life. Although his mother and relatives insisted to stay in Kithulgala, his home town, he left them to live independently so that he does not become a burden for them. Wasantha is very much obsessed on keeping his surroundings clean and most importantly he is a good gardener. His garden comprises of more than 100 banana trees and many vegetable plants. He has the capability of working with simple hand tools and maintains a clear garden by cutting grass, emptying bins and cleaning rubbish from the garden. 

While Wasantha achieved contentment out of his independent way of living, he continues to face daunting challenges due to the fact that he doesn’t have legal ownership of the land he currently lives. The absence of a friendly social environment has become an emotional struggle for him. “The residents in the surrounding areas put garbage in this garden and when I complained they made death threats saying that I am residing in a land without ownership,” his voice was full of helplessness and sorrowful. Moreover, he does not have access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and even electricity. 

Chamalee Ahangama, a Project Officer at Women’s Education & Research Centre who is sensitive to similar issues has taken several attempts to bring Wasantha’s story to the attention of the mainstream media but unfortunately, they had turned a blind eye. Then, she realized that this is the best time to apply the skill of MoJo to tell the story of Wasantha to the whole country. She attended a capacity building program for women’s organizations on mobile storytelling and digital advocacy called ‘Vibrant Voices’, which was launched by Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) under the Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka (MEND) Program in partnership with International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) and with the support of USAID.

“The story of this courageous man is an exemplary act for the entire country. As a citizen of Sri Lanka, I am happy to have contributed to such an exemplary activity process through the skill of novel technologies like MoJo.” added Chamalee. Two weeks after she has published her MoJo about Wasantha on Facebook, many individuals have reached Wasantha to help him to raise his living standards. Technology, in all its shapes or forms, can provide us with the much-needed tools to tackle unheard voices in the society, similar to the story of Wasantha who has only tried to conceal all his problems from in humble smile. 

YouTube link for the MoJo story: http://bit.do/fpk7h