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Who wants to
work? A case in point is that of Sriani,(name changed) a village girl. She has done a business management degree at Sri Jayawardenapura University. She has also studied computers and still keeps attending more classes! She did documentation and kept the accounts at a garment factory, where her take-home pay was Rs. 5,000. But she was dissatisfied because the factory floor girls were able to earn much more with overtime. She also said her job was repetitive and gave her no satisfaction. So Sriani quit. I met her one day, still unemployed, applying to various places in Colombo, in the hope of getting a job. Sriani understands English very well but is diffident about using it. I tried to persuade her to do something in the village. Being educated, there is a lot that she could do, if only she had the courage to be innovative. But Sriani is rigid in her outlook. She is a graduate! How could I explain to Sriani that she was competing with young people who came from English-speaking homes, who knew how to interact with people, who had at first worked in the private sector, while taking professional courses and finally gone to university and obtained their degrees. Sriani would have felt rebuffed - here was an English speaking, city-bred talking, who was trying to dissuade her from progressing! So I asked Sriani whether she would like to teach computers. We would put in the capital and then go 50/50 on the net profit until we covered our investment. Once this was done it would be her enterprise. She could also help me with my work, thus earning an additional income. We could evolve methodologies that would help sustain productivity, through effective use of labour. With a little effort, she could earn much more than she anticipated. Sriani liked the idea but all she has done towards making it a reality is to give excuses for not being able to attend to any of the tasks involved with the setting up of the operation. Perhaps, she expects me to do the spadework and after everything is in place invite her to take her place! I am sceptical; she doesn't have the enthusiasm that is needed to make things work! I go down to the field. The workmen cannot see me approach as a clump of bushes on the curve of the hill hides me from their view. I can see them standing in the field, resting on their farm implements, having a "chat". These are daily paid labourers. Their hourly wage is Rs. 50 with food, which amounts to Rs. 400 a day. The work scheduled was expected to be completed in three days, but today is the fourth day. They spot me and immediately begin to work with a will. The women complain, "Madam, they won't listen to us, as long as you are there, they will work". But what about my work? This is their task, to take responsibility and work the field. I am around only for support - to help them get things going. The women have to assert themselves. Some of the women are hardworking. They are better than the men, but will not do anything contrary to the village practices. During the last harvest, having seen how the men prepared the land they vowed that they would do it themselves this time. So I ask them: "What happened to all your resolutions?" "Aiyo, Madam, we will have to give them some work, after all we have to live in this village." So much for women's empowerment. They are capable and a lot more dependable than the men but the village culture has changed only marginally. The women were always the ones who socialised in the village. So the various societies in the village give them ample opportunity to do this. Through them, the men receive a lot of perks and extra income. Home necessities are taken care of, so the men do not have to push themselves too hard. They will earn enough to keep hunger from their door. But since they are eligible for all the "handouts", through the women, it benefits them to be in the casual employment sector. Needing some people to work the land, I ask a woman: "Aren't there Samurdhi beneficiaries in this village, wouldn't they like to earn an income?" "Aney Madam, most of them are Samurdhi beneficiaries, but they are too busy with their housework and taking children to school, so they do not have time to participate in activities that would demand a certain amount of time." "But they would earn some much needed money." "But that can be obtained from any of the Societies they belong to, no," they say. But how do they pay the loan?" "They borrow from another society," comes the answer. In the village people don't need to work, thanks to the Samurdhi and small savings and credit groups that have brought in much needed finances into the state coffers and swelled bank savings, but effectively killed productivity in this country. |
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