Chellamma’s Story In a distant Eastern land, Chellamma, a resilient widow and farmer, found herself shouldering the responsibilities of providing for her family after her husband's demise 27 years ago. Her two adult sons, Vijay and Kumar, both persons with disabilities, relied on Chellamma's unwavering dedication as the family's sole caregiver.

Chellamma cultivated paddy and lived a peaceful and resourceful life with her family until one-day Chellamma met with some resistance in tending to her land. To her dismay, she soon found out that just like her, her neighbors were also facing problems in the rightful use of their lands. Chellamma together with the other affected landowners were shocked to learn that their land is claimed to be of archaeological significance by the clergy who intended to build a buddhist temple in the location. In 2021, the clergy succeeded in building the temple in the area after chasing away the owners of the land.

Chellamma, Vijay and Kumar were displaced and lost their income. Forced to adapt, Chellamma at the age of 54 had to find daily wage jobs and Vijay despite his own challenges had to find menial work in order to put food on the table. Despite the severe drop in their standard of living, Chellamma, Vijay and Kumar, much like the other landowners, did not know how to reclaim their land, nor did they think they could afford to claim their rights as they feared retaliation from authorities. 1 The plight of Chellamma and the others reached the youth activists of civil society who took it upon themselves to educate and empower them. Civil society met with them several times to make them aware of their rights including land rights and the relief options available to them. After several awareness programmes Chellamma felt empowered to write to the District Secretariat. She wrote informing them about her right to her land and how it was taken from her without valid reason. Along with the youth civil society actors, Chelllamma also filed a case to seek justice and relief.

Upon review of Chellamma's claims the District Secretariat wrote back to her re-affirming and confirming her authority and ownership over her land. This allowed Chellamma to enter her land again and begin cultivation. The civil society and together with its youth members created a lasting impact on Chellamma and her family. They continue to empower others to exercise their civic rights entitled to their fullest benefit, thus contributing towards a more accountable Sri Lanka.