A guiding light for women entrepreneurs in Kandy

by Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Beauty culture is the leading sector under the Central Province Women's Chamber of Small Industries and Commerce (CPWCIC). It is competitive and demanding.

Chairperson of CPWCIC Rosita Samarajeewa said, around 40 per cent of the membership are successfully managing in this field and her aim as the Chairperson is to increase the income of women entrepreneurs in all sectors by improving the quality of their products and services while encouraging more potential women in the province to become entrepreneurs.

Textile and tailoring, cut foliage, ornamental jewellery, catering, pre-school education are the other sectors doing well under the guidance and support of the Chamber, she said.

An owner of a modern hair and beauty studio in Kandy, Rosita Samarajeewa has been able to introduce a large number of women entrepreneurs in the province since she took over Presidency of the Chamber in 1994 from its founder President M. Nilaweera and continue to hold this position for the 10th year.

It is significant that she has made her only daughter also a strong entrepreneur excelling in the same field in an innovative way.

"It is my daughter who doubled the income in my saloon with latest techniques through her experience in UK, she said proudly.

A special professional training programme for those who seek foreign employment is conducted by her daughter Surangi Samarajeewa at her salon in Kandy.

Rosita started her career back in 1971 in cake making and general cookery under Claire Caspersz and ventured further in flower making with immense success.

In 1982 she diversified her talents in beauty culture and opened her own salon in Kandy in 1988 which became very popular for hair cutting, bridal dressing and other aspects related to beauty culture.

In the meantime she has been conducting classes in cake making, cookery, and beauty culture in areas such as Matale ,Dambulla, and Sandalankawa to train rural women where her husband worked as a technical officer in the Irrigation Department.

"Those young women were very happy when I started classes and became my students. Some of them are very successful entrepreneurs now, she claimed.

Rosita has followed a diploma course in hair dressing at the Grace Siam School of Beautification in Thailand and has attended trade fairs in Bombay and Germany representing the Chamber.

The CPWCIC is a member of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL).

The Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) has been assisting the CPWCIC through its institutional capacity and competence building programme achieving great success Rosita said.

Among the services offered to women entrepreneurs are technical training on different sectors, entrepreneurship, marketing and management, business counselling, market promotion facilitating linkages with other business development services.