Helping them to live

Sandwiched between the pulsating commercial city and traditional income generating projects of the rural areas, men, women and children living in places like suburban Biyagama face a hard time.

This is the group, especially the womenfolk that the Janasetha Sahana Padanama with its motto of, "It's better to teach a man to fish, than to give him fish" is targeting. 

"We have accepted that the woman is the bank in the family," said Founder President and Managing Director Wimalasiri Gunawardane, who pioneered the venture and modelled it on the Bangladeshi concept of Gramin Banks. Therefore, this non-governmental organization encourages self-employment and extends a hand to women to better themselves economically 

Begun on January 1, 1991, the Padanama strives to provide a better living standard for the poor, by guiding people towards self-sufficiency through self-employment. Since 1996, it has been funded by AusAID, the Australian Agency for International Development. 

"We came here in 1991 and did a survey, identifying individuals and families undergoing economic hardship. The aim of the Foundation is to eradicate poverty. The need for women's development societies emerged through the poverty that was in evidence," he said.

Now the women are engaged in various self-employment projects such as yoghurt production, making of lamp-wicks, grocery and vegetable stalls, leafy vegetable production and processing. Funding is allocated according to each person's contribution to the self-employment industry. 

Today, the Janasetha Foundation has 11 staff members and 20 volunteers, which include credit directors and field officers.

Another hardship the people in this area face is that even the available jobs are snatched by migrant workers, through the influence wielded by their leaders. Limited land also aggravates the problem. That's why self-employment is a boon to these families who have been pushed to the depths of economic despair. 

Rohini Elpitiya and her niece make candles to supplement the family income. While weaving in and out of household chores they find the time to heat and cool the wax, which finally comes out as a candle. Using a mould they turn out 40 candles in 15 minutes. 

"We used to heat the wax on the kerosene cooker, but since the price of kerosene went up we have had to do it on the wood fire," explained Rohini. 

A mother of five young children, P.D. Somawathi (48) depends on the little vegetable stall in front of her house to sustain her family's hand-to-mouth existence. The income she receives from her nivithi kotuwa also helps. The Foundation has advised Somawathie and her husband that it would be a good business to develop. The market for greens is waiting to be tapped, and nivithi will be a good choice.

Liyanage Suriyakala has been making goat-skin drums from the time she was a young girl. She learnt the art from her father and her earnings keep the home fires burning. Suriyakala, like the others has taken a loan from the Foundation to develop her 'business'. 

For Rathnawathie and her husband the loan scheme came in handy when they wanted to buy a refrigerator for their shop. Now they make a lot of money by selling cool drinks and ice cubes, which they packet themselves. Thanks to the refrigerator their income has improved steadily. 

The Padanama's credit development programme covers Biyagama, Kelaniya and Mahara as well as other areas in the country. "More than 800 families have already received loans," said Mr. Gunawardane adding that while 8,000 people have been contacted in Biyagama alone, nearly 60,000 are aware of the project islandwide.

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