Financial Times

Business Club discusses tsunami-related projects
The Sunday Times Business Club is sending a special team to tsunami-affected areas in the next two weeks to formulate a potential project that it could participate in with community support.

The team led by Chaturanga Perera and including Chanaka Perera, H. Hakeem and Tirantha Amarasinghe will discuss with affected communities in the southern district of Galle, assess a project and report back to the club.

"We should look at the needs of communities. We must go by their needs, rather that imposing a project," noted Amarasinghe during a special discussion last week at the club's monthly meeting at the Trans Asia Hotel to consider a post-tsunami reconstruction project.

Some of the potential projects suggested at the meeting were providing furniture and essential material to a school; adopting a school; providing small machines to an affected community to make concrete blocks and offering start-up kits for families.

Providing counselling for affected families, particularly children, was also keenly discussed but was not considered - at the moment - a practical move in view of the expertise that is absolutely essential for work in this field. It was also decided that the social responsibility team would report back in two weeks on its findings after a field visit.

Funds for this project would be raised from a full-day workshop the club is organising on "Entrepreneurship: The way forward" to be held on February 26 at the Trans Asia Hotel.

The club also approved a constitutional amendment permitting eminent members of the private sector who don't fall within the specified 21-45 year age group to join the club as associate members. Membership in this case would be by invitation or application. Trans Asia is the host hotel while Lion Brewery (Ceylon) Ltd is the co-sponsor.

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