Continued EU succour for the small entrepreneur

Rafik JALALDEEN

COLOMBO: European Commission in Sri Lanka continues to fund its two projects in Support of Small Enterprise Development (SSED) and Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA), in different parts of the country.

The SSED project was implemented by the EC allocating over Rs.121 million in association with Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development Services (SEEDS) with the partnership of APT Enterprise Development (UK). This project was implemented in 20 districts in the island from 2002 to 2007.

"Our aim is to develop the local economy and eradicate poverty by promoting economic empowerment for sustainable livelihood", Attache Development Cooperation, Karolina Hedstrom, said.

Development of the small enterprise sector has been identified as a means of strengthening the rural economy, she added.

"The main purpose of this project is to provide and promote innovative cost effective business development services to small enterprises in Sri Lanka, thereby increasing opportunities for income and employment for the poor", Caroline pointed out.

Over 70 percent of the Sri Lankan population lives in the rural areas. Small scale entrepreneurs in the rural areas receive little support and rely heavily on their own strengths and skills to identify market opportunities for their products, Manager Technology Development, Enterprise Service Division, Shantha Jayasuriya said.

The EC funded project association with SEEDS plays an important role to provide training, knowledge, technical supports, loans and introducing markets, to the rural areas small entrepreneurs, he added.

"We select the trainers through the awareness programme and interviews. The trainers should have passed the GCE O/L and their ages should be between 25 to 40.

We provide training in different sectors like in garments, agriculture, handicraft etc", Jayasuriya said. We also provide funds for the trainers of around Rs. 10,000 to 50,000 to their small business, he added.

Shyamali Kusumalatha is a small successful entrepreneur who had received training in business management and marketing and funding from SEEDS to improve her business.

She got the opportunity to participate in the SEEDS annual Trade Fair and Exhibition held at the Vihara Maha Devi Park in Colombo. She is the owner of a leather bags shop which is located at the sales outlets at Queens Hotel-Kandy.

"I have received training in small enterprise production, management and marketing from the services offered by SEEDS.

Now I have my own shop and I have hired four employees to work with me. Gradually I make business of around Rs. 6,000 per day and I have made a Rs. 2,000 profit out of it", Kusumalatha said.

She said that "I have received funds to improve my business from SEEDS and I have been involved in this business since 1996".

Saman Kumara is a brass craftman from Pahala Sapuweda, Matale. This place is very devoted and famous for handicrafts and lacquerware.

"The SEEDS organisation helped me in various ways. I've received excellent training to use modern technology in handicrafts and lacquer work.

Now I sell my products in different places after being introduced to the top local markets. I also got training in business counselling, business management and loans to improve my business from Sarvodaya", Kumara said. I have won award from the President for my work and I have hired four employees to work with me, he added.

The other EC funded project is Reproductive Health for Youth in Asia (RHIYA).

The EC has contributed around Rs.132 million to this project. This project was held in 18 districts in Sri Lanka from September 2003 to December 2006.

RHIYA makes use of the comparative advantage of local, national and international civil society organisations in reaching the most vulnerable groups and dealing with a subject area as sensitive as young people's reproductive and sexual health, RHIYA National Programme Officer Eshani Ruwanpura said.

The project sites selected within each district were characterised by a lack of accessibility to and availability of sexual and reproductive health information and services to young people between the ages of 14 and 24, she pointed out.

The objectives of the project are to encourage an increase in the use of quality reproductive health information and services by adolescents and youth.

"The youths' sexual and other hidden problems are brought to the concern of their peer educators", Ruwanpura said.

"The peer educators are trained by the RHIYA. These peer educators when they find out a problem of their friends, they will bring their friends to the counselling centre of the RHIYA. The Medical Officer or the Counsellor will help them to over come their problems", she added.

"Also other youth awareness programmes like street dramas and exhibitions were organised by the RHIYA to help the youths in general", Ruwanpura said.