Features
Building community through innovation and green skills
International Youth Day, August 12, 2023
UNDP)At only 26 years old, Jayanthan is already a visionary. His office by the Kalladi beach in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, is modest, but well organised. At first sight, it was evident the plans Jayanthan and his team had for the future were ambitious.
Though still a very green start-up, Jayanthan has a team of nearly 10 people, a sales and marketing division, an engineering team, an office administrator, and a finance officer – overkill one might think. A thought that would quickly pass when conversing with this young man. He has clear plans to expand his business into something quite ground-breaking and unique.
Jayanthan is graduating this year from Uva Wellassa University with a Bachelor’s in Mechatronics and has no real-world experience to speak of. But in the way he articulates his journey, his vision, and goals – it is difficult not to see a wizened go-getter, and a savvy businessman. His demeanour and attitude would reassure any prospective investor that he is worth banking on.
Through his innovative thinking and vision to build an enterprise that helps to better the lives of people in his community, Jayanthan and his team have designed a digital platform which will help hospitals and clinics in Batticaloa move towards a rapid digital transformation. The initial seed funding to get his hospital management system up and running was provided by UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) through Hatch in a collaborative project titled Social Connect, which identifies and supports young and innovative social entrepreneurs.
Idealism and social enterprise
Idealism is a virtue of youth, a virtue often tarnished by the harsh realities of modern living. The same can be said for the dreams of childhood. The young boy who dreamt of being an astronaut never reached the moon, the young girl who dreamt of being a ballerina never got to dance in Swan Lake. But ventures such as Social Connect, an initiative designed to support startups and SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprise) across Sri Lanka, are initiated so that at least a few dreamers can sneak through the great filters and bring their dreams to life, and make an impact on their community and society in the process.
Jayanthan’s journey is a perfect embodiment of UNDP’s youth development ethos of ‘leaving no youth behind.’
His passion for innovation began when he was only 13 years old. Since then, he has participated in many competitions and programmes; some of which were facilitated by UNDP and the Citra Social Innovation Lab, which have paved the way for him to win many accolades, attend engaging workshops, and has met many inspiring people who have provided mentorship and guidance.
“I first learnt about the idea of social enterprise in 2019 when I participated in the HackaDev Social Innovation Challenge”.
From the HackaDev Social Innovation Challenge to the incubation support received through the Economic Resilience Coaching Programme, Jayanthan’s ideas have been given life. Jayanthan credits HackaDev for exposing him to the concept of social enterprise. A concept he now attaches to all his ventures. And in some sense is the founding ethos of his start-up.
His start-up and the community of hopeful entrepreneurs and innovators he has attracted and supports, all work with this mindset and the desire to uplift their community. It is quite motivating and inspiring to see such young people overcoming hurdles and obstacles to assist the people around them.
In 2022, Jayanthan and his team began an initiative to employ a single mother or a person with disability for a minimum period of one year. Currently a single mother; Wasanthi works with him in an upcycling venture he has under his fold. He goes on to explain, that a person with a disability will be joining his team in September this year, to support his software development work.
Why UNDP invests in young people
In Sri Lanka, young people make up a quarter of the population. Responding to the needs of this generation of young people cannot be overstated. At UNDP, we work on several fronts to support young people while recognising, promoting, and supporting the role of youth as critical and positive agents of change.
UNDP in Sri Lanka has many projects and programmes that facilitate young entrepreneurs, ranging from the Hackadev Innovation Challenges, Academy, and Incubator, while working together with many private sector partners for collaborative programmes such as the UNDP x Hatch Social Connect initiative, that helped address challenges stemming from Sri Lanka’s socio-economic crisis.
Jayanthan gives UNDP a lot of credit for where he is today. He received the initial funding for his start-up through Hackadev Social Innovation Challenge back in 2019. During the economic crisis, Jayanthan received incubation support through the HackaDev Economic Resilience Coaching Programme (2022-2023). Now, with the grant from Social Connect, his business is stable, sustainable and set to thrive.
He was quick to mention that his exposure to the programme was very timely. His business was barely functioning, his staff was working on a volunteer basis, and the projects he had undertaken were mismanaged and uncoordinated. However, after meeting the mentors and technical experts at Hatch through Social Connect, he was able to turn things around. All his staff are paid now, and his enterprise generates a monthly income of 200,000 rupees, which he says is sufficient to sustain operations for the time being.
The Maker Space at Hatch offers a great collaborative setting with a variety of machines to build prototypes and engage with other young innovators. Jayanthan, says the experience and mentorship provided by Hatch has allowed him to expand and focus his vision as a social entrepreneur.
The hospital management system
UNDP and Hatch through the Social Connect initiative, supports Jayanthan for his innovative Hospital Management System. The initial seed fund of 1 million rupees that was provided has been invested into developing the software platform, purchasing servers, maintenance, meeting clients and other administrative costs.
This platform will provide a homegrown solution to digitally transform health services in the Batticaloa District, helping to maintain a digital record of patients that can be accessed by doctors at any of the clinics or hospitals using the system.
Jayanthan’s journey is a perfect embodiment of UNDPs youth dev ethos of ‘leaving no youth behind.’
“The digital transformation is inevitable, and we want to help our community adapt and embrace this. Our tool will make the process of documentation at hospitals more efficient and precise.”
Community driven as he is, Jayanthan is adamant that his product should serve all 320 local hospitals and clinics in Batticaloa. His goals for expansion in the coming years is solely focused on his home district. To enter the market, he is planning to provide 10 systems to Government hospitals for free. And from there, using the feedback and exposure obtained take his product to a subscription-based model.
Jayanthan and his team are also working on a mobile app, which he says is targeted at helping extremely rural communities who must travel over 30KMs for even a general check-up. A journey that often takes one or two hours on broken roads with hardly any buses, or other means of transport available.
Being young is an obstacle sometimes
As capable and sophisticated as he is, Jayanthan is young – in his words, this makes his vision extremely hard to achieve. Not because of anything else, but age-old Sri Lankan dogma. According to Jayanthan, it is extremely hard to convince doctors, and stakeholders, even his parents to take his venture seriously, and for them to stop seeing him as a child with a simple dream.
“Bringing about change is hard.”
But Jayanthan is an enterprising person. With advice from his mentors, he has identified a few ways to overcome this challenge. From pursuing further studies and certifications programmes to further gain credibility, he is also in the process of planning collaborations and partnerships with stakeholders that other prospective clients will have to take seriously. In setting up these meetings and pitching his idea, Jayanthan is relentless. It is hard for anyone who meets him and talks to him to see him as a naïve child, they will only see the savvy and driven entrepreneur he is.
Building community and supporting each other
Apart from the Hospital Management System, Jayanthan and his team work on web development projects, an innovative biogas for domestic use project, futuristic marine research equipment and many other things.
Jayanthan’s experience and exposure to incubators such as Hatch and the HackaDev programme has led to much change in his hometown. He and his enterprise are at the heart of an emerging movement in Batticaloa. Many new start-ups are popping up and supporting each other in what is quickly becoming a vibrant community.
They have community threads on instant messaging apps and other social platforms, where he and other leaders in the innovator space share thoughts, ideas, jobs, and business opportunities. He also organizes learning sessions for up and coming, hopeful entrepreneurs and is ever eager to point them in the right direction.
Jayanthan is the epitome of a hardworking, young, social entrepreneur and a victory for UNDP’s youth development efforts from over the years. As we celebrate International Youth Day 2023, UNDP continues to strive towards creating inclusive, safe spaces, and opportunities, to boost youth participation in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Jayanthan is one of the many young, promising and extremely talented young entrepreneurs who have been supported by UNDP’s extensive youth development programmes. Jayanthan, began his journey by participating in the HackaDev Social Innovation Challenge, from which he gained exposure and incubation for his first venture: Trash for Trade. Since then, he has been further supported by HackaDev Ambassador (2021-2022), the Economic Resilience Coaching Programme (2022-2023) and most recently through Social Connect (2022-2023).
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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