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Care to look at Care Services? By
Random Access Memory (RAM) Our
leaders are too busy with their antics of power politics and may
not have the time, for sometime now, to reflect on the real issues
that face us. We,
on the other hand have been too busy making sure that short-term
enabling environments are created for our business activities. We
have often limited our focus on social issues to discussion sessions
on corporate social responsibility (CSR) at conferences and seminars
and on placing the essential paragraphs on the do-good activities
of our companies in our annual reports. One
such social issue we place little emphasis on is the near 'slave
trade' like industry, facilitating Sri Lanka's mothers and sisters
to work in foreign lands as domestic servants. Often
referred to as a necessary evil, we live the reality that this is
our largest foreign exchange earning sector. But we do sweet little
to really reflect on the manifold issues that face them as individuals
and as a collective group representing a vital section of our society.
It is true that all do not face problems when they work abroad and
most make it good with the dinars and dollars they earn. The
exploitation continues with many employment agencies playing them
out from the application to placement stages. We all are aware of
the numerous other hardships the not so fortunate ones face, in
their attempts to realise their dreams. Reports
from UNICEF and ILO will tell you of the negative long term socio-cultural
impacts of this industry, where children are robbed of the loving
care of their mothers, creation of disharmony in the family environment
and the like. What
options do we have? What long term solutions can we seek to ensure
that we build a Sri Lankan society that can make good business sense
and serve market needs while also preserving our nation's dignity,
safeguarding the future of our less privileged children and their
mothers and sisters? Taking
on initiatives to develop a care services industry within Sri Lanka
might be one key option we perhaps can consider. Given the recent
findings presented to the 'UN Conference on Aging' by Secretary
General Kofi Annan, the world's population is fast aging and by
2020 there will be a majority of over 60's among us. From
a business sense this offers immense opportunities for a country
like Sri Lanka, where care giving is part of our culture and tourism
and leisure is a somewhat mature industry. What
we need to understand is that tourism today is lifestyle business
and not a mere selling of airline seats, tour packages, hotel rooms
or recreation activities as we have viewed it traditionally. The
following headline story from the Philippines, illustrate the thinking
and boldness of initiatives that are taken by other pioneers in
exploring new ground. "Philippines: Ready for Medical Tourism".
"Healthcare with leisure - this is how the Department of Tourism
describes its new programme, aimed at positioning the country as
a competitive health vacation destination in Asia, targeting both
the wellness/spa and medical tourist markets." In
Sri Lanka, we have all the ingredients in the right proportions
now, to make it happen. We have a mature tourism and leisure industry.
We have initiated building modern medical facilities of international
standards. We have a tradition of seeking mind-body wellness through
mediation and Siddha-ayurveda. And more importantly, we are a people
whose culture at its core, is focussed on care giving. If
we in the business sector can mix these ingredients with a deep
sense of social responsibility, it can mean building a community-based
small and medium scale care services industry for Sri Lanka. It will also mean that we can end the need for our mothers and sisters to go gold digging elsewhere, but do it being in their own family domain to ensure that their children grow up sharing their loving care. Do those who can make it happen, care to care? |
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