Tapping untapped potential

Everybody has got to learn sometime. Especially kids. The alphabet, the numerals, even simple things like the names of colours, birds or flowers.

Psychologists believe the best way to teach them is when they are at play.

Playing with your children is the best investment you’ll ever make. Lenin Perera, of Piliyandala, doesn’t exactly say the words, but looking at the array of educational toys around me, safe, durable, designed to stimulate creativity and the imagination of children between three to eight years; it is obvious that he is guided by this truism.

Soft spoken, gentle and an immensely talented artist who has had no training in the field of handicrafts, but who says creative ideas come to him naturally, it is hard not to ask how he got to be called “Lenin” by everyone who knows him.

More of that later. Right now he wishes to reveal how he started making these mathematical toys which are distributed in rural schools to help children grasp the mysteries of adding and subtracting, multiplying and dividing.

Lenin is grateful to the teacher Midigama Darmasiri Hengodage whose idea it had been to make these toys. He also mentions with gratitude, Godage Publishers for distributing his creations at the initial stages of the venture.

Talking about his past, he recalls how he had worked for several companies involved in exporting handicrafts, but had resigned from his job five years ago to strike out on his own.

With seven others working with him, he says he finds immense satisfaction in his trade which he has named after his son Lakindu.

He is grateful to his wife Jayantha who has supported him in every step of the way and his daughter Umaya who is proud of her Thaththa’s Perahara wall-hangings.

Lenin too feels they are the best he had created till now. “There is a great demand for the Perahara pictures among tourists. So many have bought them over the years it is nice to imagine them hanging in the sitting rooms in far off countries like Germany, Switzerland, U.S.A and U.K.

Often working for twelve hours a day, Lenin says the greatest difficulty he faces in his business is the lack of talented staff to assist him. “Most youngsters like to have an easy time. Creating these pieces of art is not easy.

Often the spray and the dust become unbearable. But this is something they must learn to tolerate”. Fluctuating prices of the raw material he uses is also a problem, especially when it comes to deciding on a price - for a piece of creation which is often priceless. Finally, to the question that has yet to be answered. Why is he called Lenin? “My name is Leninson Perera”. He laughs and adds, “This is one question to which I don’t have an answer”.

Having embarked on this new venture when he was in his late thirties, Levin has proven that age is no barrier when it comes to pursuing dreams.

If life seems to be beginning to (slightly) run out on you, turn up the heat.

Strive. It is worth it.

- Aditha