From poverty to prosperity

Through 'Palama':

by Priyanthi Fernando

"Micro and small enterprises are the engines of growth in Sri Lanka, especially outside Colombo and the Western Province. They are vital to local economic development, which create jobs and reduce poverty.

Since economic growth in many provinces is still lagging behind, the Government, SIDA and the ILO agreed on a project that promotes small enterprise in a holistic manner, targeting North-West and North-Central provinces; districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam and Kurunegala," said Roel Hakemulder, the Chief Technical Adviser of Enter-Growth.

The Project addresses issues relating to market access of micro and small enterprises; policy and regulatory environment for micro and small enterprise growth; and enterprise culture. The Project's partnership with District Micro and Small Enterprise Forums for public-private dialogue is of key importance in each of these areas.

Elaborating on the three thematic entry points, Hakemulder said that "whilst expanding the access of micro and small enterprises to markets for their products and services, the Project supports activities that will lead to a more dynamic and effective market for business services that enable enterprises to improve their productivity, become more market-led, and develop linkages to new markets."

He added this includes developing new, more demand-driven business services and the capacity to deliver them.

In relation to development of an enabling policy, legislative and regulatory environment at local level, the Project promotes organisation of micro and small enterprises and builds capacity of business associations to serve their members, moderates the development of a dialogue between micro and small enterprises and the authorities, supports specific policy and regulatory improvements, and strengthens the authorities' capacity to develop and maintain an enabling environment.

Strengthening enterprise culture includes 'Palama', a social marketing campaign that promotes enterprise as a way out of poverty, the introduction of business awareness training in vocational schools, and support to introduction of Entrepreneurial Studies in Secondary Schools.

Introducing 'Palama', meaning 'bridge' from poverty to prosperity, Enter-Growth's Chief Technical Adviser Roel said that it aims to bring about a substantial increase in pro-entrepreneurial attitudes and encourage the growth of enterprise.

"It is primarily about changing mindsets so as to inspire and mobilize people to be more enterprising in their lives and attempts to promote an enterprise culture, deep and significant enough, to trigger a change in behaviour, not simply in attitude.

In this regard, a strong belief in one's own capability to be entrepreneurial and the cultural value placed on enterprise by society are both important. For example, the degree to which society rewards and recognises enterprising behaviour can influence in several ways the willingness of individuals to be innovative or start promising ventures.

We need organisations prepared to change as well as a climate for enterprise," said Hakemulder.

Enterprise is linked to culture because it has been recognised that culture bears on the choice, preferences, behaviour and actions of individuals to do with enterprise.

If a society wishes to understand the behaviour and choices of its individuals, or why the society has many who start enterprises, or why it has many more who do not, and how to influence these preferences, it needs to look at the population, and at its culture.

The 'Palama' social marketing campaign is strategically designed based on the findings of the socio-cultural assessment conducted in the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, and Kurunegala in early 2006. It employs forum theatre, a form of participatory theatre, as the main vehicle for transmitting messages why enterprise is good for individuals and communities, as well as messages that strive to change the cultural barriers identified in the assessment and help people see enterprise as a positive force that benefits individuals and communities.

According to Ramesha Balasuriya, the Campaign Director of 'Palama', three forum theatre groups have already been established in the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Puttalam with the actors and actresses being recruited from within each of the districts. The fourth would be established in Kurunegala in the near future.

Forum theatre performances conducted so far at village levels have proved to be a resounding success, with direct and indirect effects on the communities as well as members of the theatre groups themselves, said Balasuriya. She added that forum theatre is definitely an important entertainment-education tool to foster social change, encouraging communities to seek local solutions to their problems.

According to Balasuriya, much of 'Palama' campaign-related activity is 'localised', as decisions about the future by young people are being made at a local, rather than global level, making choices within shortened social networks. "Therefore, what they are seeing and experiencing at a local level is very important in determining choices. But, 'Palama' will be of sufficient scale nationally to trigger the process of cultural change," she added.

Forum theatre emphasises horizontal learning and all actors play the role of facilitators, encouraging the audiences to open their hearts, minds and souls to reflect upon problems and find solutions together as a community. It is also both a science and an art.

The scientific part of the process is somewhat like the research process, beginning with the questioning step when the theatre group gathers information about their community as well as the problems most akin to them, continuing to the analysing step when they begin to develop the story line, and ending with the application step when they begin to practice the performance based on the gathered information.

The artistic part, on the other hand, is about adapting the participatory process to a problematic situation, in which the facilitators had to be flexible and culturally sensitive to the issues.

Balasuriya says that the completion of the performance does not signify the end of the process, rather the awakening step of the process. "It helps awaken people to think and talk about the issues in the performance, and how to act on the issues in the future.

It rarely causes immediate revolutions. Theatre therefore can only be a part of a holistic approach," she said.

She also adds that being engaged in the 'Palama' participatory theatre workshops have also helped members of the theatre group gain in self-esteem, expanded their knowledge base, become better versed in community traditions, developed skills in working with others, and become proficient in the production aspects of participatory and performance theatre.

Chaminda, the leader of the 'Palama' forum theatre group in Polonnaruwa said the dramatic exercises brought them in touch with their innate feelings and thoughts. "Forum theatre opened opportunities for us. It helped us know more about ourselves. Joining 'Palama' has opened up many ways in which we can serve our communities," he observed.

Nuwan noted that his experience as a member of the 'Palama' forum theatre group has made him realise that one cannot expect enterprises to guarantee jobs in the modern world.

He realises "individuals are increasingly expected to seek out their own opportunities, actively create value, behave ethically and learn to be enterprising, both when working for others as well as setting up own businesses." Menu admits she had no aim in life prior to joining 'Palama' theatre group and added it has helped her immensely in developing skills for collectively working with others; how to form and function as a team.