This photo was taken for a post-tsunami recovery project based in Madampagama on the south west coast of Sri Lanka. The project is a joint effort between The Sustainable Trust in the UK and The Centre for Environment and Development in Sri Lanka. For more details on this project click here.

This couples new house was almost complete, thanks to CED and The Sustainable Trusts involvement. All that needed to be done was the floor. I asked to see inside their new house and they were really happy to do so. Inside were piles of tied up coconut coir rope waiting to be sold on. The rope is spun by the women in the village and an important part of a families income. On top of this, the Recovery Project has been mostly dominated by decisions made by the women in the village so when I asked to take the photo here and the lady knelt down by the pile in the foreground, I was delighted. It felt symbolic of the female domination of this project whilst the men are happy to keep watch but generally take a 'back seat'.

 

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