Young entrepreneurs - learning to stand on their own

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

Patrick Amerasinghe -- the livewire behind success of YESL

"I am from Mahiyanganaya, a district which people think is really backward and under-developed. But today I proved that children of Mahiyanganaya are equally talented and they are on par with the children in Colombo. I must thank the Young Entrepreneurs of Sri Lanka (YESL) for helping us to change the myth", the vibrant voice of M.A.K. Mahesha Kalyani of the Mahiyangana National School reverberated in the packed hall.

Replaying the video of the ceremony held to award the 'Product of the Year' at the Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007, a top business icon broke down with tears with happiness while he was explaining the mission of the YESL.

"I was able to tap the talents of these rural children and guide them to chose the correct avenue", he murmurs with tears gushing down.

Mahesha who was the Chairman of the Company - Splendour - which produced 'rasa posa' with kurakkan and rice flour - using the resources from their villages - won the gold medal in 2007. Today, she, who learned the ABC of business and economics from her tender days is thankful to YESL that she has gained entrance to the University of Sri Jayawardenapura for her degree in Management.

Ananda Piyankara, a student of Richmond College, who won the 'Most Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka in 2008 is another product of YESL and took part in the 'Growing Up CEO' contest held at the Harvard Business School, USA.

Like this enthusiastic young girl and boy, there are thousands of new faces from the cities and villages waiting to bloom as young businessmen and women of Sri Lanka if they are given a 'supportive' hand.

YESL helps to prepare young people for the real world by showing them how to generate wealth and effectively manage it, how to create jobs which make their communities more robust, and how to apply entrepreneurial thinking to the workplace. Students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.

Apart from correct guidance that directs young students in the correct path, the inspiration and the support in moulding them to become budding businessmen is due to the efforts by the former 'boss' of the Chamber of Commerce Patrick Amerasinghe who has now dedicated his whole life to expand YESL to see a future with business.

"There are over 500,000 children in this country. One of the biggest challenges that Sri Lanka faces is adding value to our biggest asset - children - who are hoping for a better future", Amerasinghe, who was spurred by sensing the need to tapping the hidden talents of the future generation, said.

Patrick, who sacrificed his one time lucrative business - the exporting wooden items- to make the youth of this country stand on their own feet and to face the future challenges in the modern world, established the Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL), the local branch of the 'Junior Achievement' (JA), in 1998.

The idea of opening of a branch of the JA was first mooted in 1972 during Amerasinghe's visit to a carnival in the Indiana province, USA. He was inspired by the way the children conducted themselves so confidently. It was a forum where the schoolchildren put theory of business into practice.

"I wanted to start the branch, but it did not work out as I was so busy with my export business and also forming the National Chamber of Exporters and also the Chamber of Commerce. When these two chambers were going smoothly, I felt the need of training the future generation of the country as businessmen. Then I wrote to the JA confirming my readiness to start the branch. The Ministry of Education too gave its final nod and I have started the YESL with students of eight schools including Colombo and Galle schools", he said adding that the wings of the JA have now spread to 153 countries.

Explaining the objective of YESL, Amerasinghe said that the entire concept was to make children a work force ready to be entrepreneurs. The YESL mission: To inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics and to improve their quality of life and to succeed in a global economy.

As Amerasinghe explained, YESL is the silent revolution in education to mould youth in business. It grooms the children for a better future to be self confident and dependent, to develop team work, be less dependent on state employment, to communicate in English, be able to develop business plans and annual reports, be financially literate, be socially responsible, be able to contribute to socio-economic development and finally be better entrepreneurs.

Young Amerasinghe saw the prospects of becoming an exporter interesting going on stories of the youth of YESL, who had become successful young businessmen in the country. He recalled the days he used to make a beeline to the vocational training centre at Ananda College, Colombo to make a wooden table or a chair.

"Carpentry is my hobby, and I worked in the carpentry section after school making or carving some wooden item. My father always wanted me to do a 'white collar job and later I started my career as an accountant at Lake House. But my mind always told me to quit the job to do my own in wood industry", he said.

After a brain storming session, he took a decision to quit the job at Lake House to start a 'factory' in his backyard.

His parents protested, but he started manufacturing wooden toys with a capital of Rs. 65 using his workforce of three craftsmen. As the small business was growing steadily, Amerasinghe, who dreamt to be an exporter, was determined that he could generate more employment and foreign exchange if he could tap the export market. He read books on carpentry and wrote to top businessmen in the world seeking their advice to make his little products quality.

At an environment which was not conducive for export business due to the close market economy, he had to face many challenges in life to make his dream become a reality.

With lots of rules and regulations and with a mere three pounds and 10 shillings as a concession, Amerasinghe did not abandon his 'mission' until sent his first consignment of exports - wooden cots and TV chairs and educational toys - in 1974.

With the booming export business he abandoned manufacturing wooden toys for the local market as he could not keep pace with the export orders from Japan, USA, Uk and many other European countries.

The wooden products manufactured at the 'Woodplex' - his factory- made him win the 'Best Exporter' in three consecutive years from 1975.

" I am happy I was offered vocational training in carpentry at school.

It was a very exciting and enjoyable hobby which can be later developed into an occupation. Vocational training at school will help the children in some way of life", said Amerasinghe, manufactured who his own furniture as a school boy.

Still whenever he had time, he used to collect a plank wood and a saw to make some wooden items, which eased his stress and also gave him relaxation.

In his old age, the only satisfaction he enjoys is seeing young children coming up as entrepreneurs.

"We need more people with the knowledge of business and economics to develop this country. The foundation should be laid from the primary schools", he said.

The small children in Grade II to seven will be taught first about 'ourselves' on how to earn money and how to use that money in the form of a story. Later, they will be taught about 'our families', 'our communities', 'our city' and 'our nation' with economics and business, how it operates in other countries, the occupations related to the field, the responsibilities of a good citizen towards making the economy good, how to apply their skills and talents in relevant fields.

"St. Joseph's College, Nugegoda and another rural in Hatton have designed their city under the program 'our community'. These children are taught to make their own cities planned cities. In our family program we taught them about various opportunities to guide them to get into the field that they have skills", he added.

Showing young children the way

In the middle school programs, the children in Grade Seven to Nine will be educated in basic business decision-making while learning fundamental economic concepts. Exploring personal finance and career options based on their skills, interests and values, career options and personal and family financial management and spending and investing affect their economic role in society. The students will also be trained on business ethics and how to introduce themselves and how to 'score from the first meeting'.

The high school and college program is the most exiting program of YESL where the children are establishing their own companies - true to life business company. Here they are also given the opportunity to assume the role of bankers and make banking decisions. "The high school level program is the real challenge for them where they have to form a company with shareholders, a chairman, a board of directors, and manufacture a produce chosen by them.

They have to name the company and set up a business plan and register it following a real procedure of registering a business company.

"The profit will be divided among the share holders", Amerasinghe explained.

He said that once they completed the YESL High School program, the students who want to be in the same business can continue and others could opt on the employment they want to engage in.

Calling himself a social entrepreneur, Amerasinghe wants all the well to do business icons and civil society to come forward to lead today's children in the correct path. "Especially after the ending of the war there is a dare need of projecting the future of these children. If we failed to look after the needs of these children properly and when they see the differences in a section of the society where some enjoy of luxurious lives but not them, there will be another war", warned Amerasinghe who is a consultant for many State and private sector forums.

"Most of the children we meet at our programs in rural schools are very intelligent and seeking help to come up. Only thing they lack is the supportive hand to brush up their lives", the Chairman of YESL, who has started a program for the schoolchildren in Batticaloa which he plans to expand to North, said he invites his friends in the business community to become social entrepreneurs to prevent a social unrest that could hit the country in the future.

"Let's become a voice for the voiceless children of this country who are gazing at us for help to bloom", humbly requested this giant in Sri Lanka's business field.