The small and beautiful way to a livelihood

by Florence Wickramage

When tsunami hit several parts of Sri Lanka's coastline it made no discriminations. Both the rich and the poor, were equally affected.

The hoteliers who catered to tourists and the small inn-keeper with his cabana or motel; the big businessmen and the vendor who made a livelihood from ocean resources were all victims of the ferocious tsunami waves.

Among these were several young people who were aspiring to be gainfully employed - their hopes of successes being drowned in the mighty tsunami - they thought they had lost everything and were desperate.

But this particular youth sector were not that unlucky as they imagined themselves to be. True as the saying goes that every dark cloud has a silver lining, a light lit up their dark horizons in the form of a private concern - the Small and Medium Enterprise Developers (SMED) which stepped in with a helping hand.

Programme

Adhering to guidelines set by Friedrich Naumann Stiftung who spearheaded several programmes of gainful employment for youth, SMED first selected the Matara District to implement their entrepreneur development project.

This programme aims to mould good citizens who through their selected fields of business enterprises would be guided to generate financial support towards the national goal of alleviating poverty.

Twelve youths gainfully took advantage of the programme by following a five-day practical course on `Electrical House Wiring'.

The tutors of the course were a professional team of resource persons from the Centre for Innovation, Training and Entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka.

The course content included `Attitude building, unlocking personnel entrepreneurship competencies, setting business goals and preparing business plans.

Nihal Cooray, Manager SMED remarked that "these youths who were more or less aimless, were able to make focus on the path they wanted to choose, participated well in all working sessions. It was heartening to read the Business Plans they had prepared".

Several youth commented " we never thought we were coming for a training programme like this.

We have now gained confidence, not only to start a business venture of our own but more than that, it has given a new meaning to our lives".

SMED

The Small and Medium Business Developers is the arm of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL),which was established by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung in 1989.

SMED's priority is to train and make unemployed youth employable and to provide a solution to the immediate shortage of construction workers.

Therefore SMED sent their consultants to all the tsunami affected districts to assess what needs to be done.

In conducting their programme for unemployed youth SMED works closely with the District Chamber system which is linked to the FCCISL under its "Back to Business" programme specially designed for tsunami affected youth.