All expenses for Shalika’s education were bourne by her husband. Their only income is from cattle farming
In Sri Lanka, where students marching on the streets demanding their right to education is a common sight, the story of Shalika Navodini Fernando is a far cry from it all.
Thirty-one-year-old Shalika of Belwood, Galaha, graduated from the Pali and Buddhist University in 2013. Hers is a story of pure courage and a relentless desire to support her family through the only means she thought was possible; education.
Having lived much of her life in the hilly estates of Delthota, Shalika’s will was unwavering in her pursuit of education, just like any other fresher she had hopes and dreams of a brighter future, not only for herself but also her husband and two sons. Instead, Shalika was driven to assist her husband in cattle farming - their only source of income.
Her Bachelor of Arts degree, framed, hangs on the wall of her wattle and daub house. Following the revelation of her plight by our sister newspaper Lankadeepa, Shalika was granted employment by the National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) as a Field Inspector. She must now undergo a ten-day training period before she takes up her official duties. Employment is certainly a blessing for Shalika who has been long-deserving of it. Yet, her struggles are far from over.
"Having lived much of her life in the hilly estates of Delthota, Shalika’s will was unwavering in her pursuit of education"
Shalika with her husband Ranjith Priyashantha
Born to W.G. Podimenike and L.G. Aldin, who were both workers at the Delthota Estate, Shalika was the youngest of the family, with two elder sisters and a brother. She studied until the fifth grade at the Galaha Sri Pushpadana Vidyalaya, till tragedy struck the happy family with the untimely death of her father. Shalika recounts the hardships her family had to endure following the demise of their beloved father. But she also recalls how her mother was persistent in ensuring Shalika and her siblings continued their studies. According to Shalika, her sisters and brother excelled in their studies but unfortunately could not pursue higher education due to financial constraints.
Shalika, however, decided to continue her secondary education at Karagaskada Maha Vidyalaya, Delthota.
“I selected the commerce stream to do my A/L’s. Back then, I had a dream to study in the IT field, to work with computers, but that was a mere dream,” Shalika recalls. “After my A/L exams, I started work at an apparel factory in Kotahena. But I couldn’t work there for long as I was unaccustomed to 
the Colombo climate. I often fell sick and had to return home. I then started to work at a channelling centre in Peradeniya. It is during this period that I met my husband. Unlike many, he encouraged me to continue my studies and promised to help me.” On March 5, 2009, Shalika married H.D. Ranjith Priyashantha, a cattle farmer from her village. The same year, Shalika registered for the Bachelor of Arts degree at the Pali and Buddhist University with her husband’s blessings.
“I woke up early every morning and came to Colombo to attend lectures. I had no money to attend extra classes or to buy the prescribed texts and other supplies I needed. If I told my husband about these requirements, he would have somehow given me the money. But I never told him. My husband has been rearing cattle for the past 16 years. I felt that I shouldn’t burden him anymore,” Shalika said.
"After my A/L exams, I started work at an apparel factory in Kotahena. But I couldn’t work there for long as I was unaccustomed to the Colombo climate. I often fell sick and had to return home"
“I was fortunate to befriend two kind-hearted batch mates from Piliyandala and Kurunegala who helped me to a great extent. They gave me the necessary texts and other material. I studied Sinhala, Buddhist civilization and Mass Media at the university. I completed my degree in 2012. The day I graduated, I thought I was on top of the world. I was caught up in a world of possibilities and dreams. Most importantly, I realised the dreams of my parents and my beloved husband,” Shalika recounts as she wipes away a tear.
Nevertheless, destiny was not in Shalika’s favour. She had been living at her sister-in-law’s house since her marriage. Upon the return of her sister-in-law to the island, Shalika and her husband had to leave the house. They decided to build a temporary shelter in a bare land belonging to her husband’s father.
“My husband has studied up to A/Ls. But cattle farming is his occupation. Sometimes he works as a driver. We live in a land that is disputed by some of our family members. We don’t have a deed, so we can’t build a house,” Shalika explained.
“That is why we built this shed out of wattle and daub. The cattle are sheltered on one side and on the other we made a little living space for ourselves. All four of us live here. But you never know when we will have to leave this land. The Galaha Veterinary officers tried to help us by giving us more cattle and aid. But we can’t afford to make those poor animals live in the same miserable conditions that we do. So we care for the four cows that we already have and manage our day-to-day expenses,” she said.
"The day I graduated, I thought I was on top of the world. I was caught up in a world of possibilities and dreams. Most importantly, I realised the dreams of my parents and my beloved husband"
Her courage and determination to complete a three-year degree in such circumstances are nothing but commendable. In a small room where they eat, sleep and cook, Shalika also finds space to teach her eldest son who studies in the second grade of Pushpadana Vidyalaya, Galaha.
“I teach my sons during the day time when there is light. At night, the elder son does his homework with the light of a torch. He has grown accustomed to studying in the dark. When the torch runs out of batteries, we light a chimney lamp and go on about our work. We had electricity some months back, but we can’t afford it anymore,” the mother of two lamented.
In the shadows of Shalika’s success story is her husband Priyashantha who patiently endured great difficulties to finance his wife’s dreams. The sole breadwinner of the family engages in a number of odd jobs, apart from rearing cattle, to feed his two children. Now this family seeks to overcome their next obstacle; to build a house of their own. In an age where we grumble and complain about everything under the sun, Shalika and her family is an inspiration to us all.
Shalika helping her eldest son with his homework
