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Students mean business
Schoolchildren form their own companies and get a taste of corporate world
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
“Gotta sticky problem… then you need a tricky solution,” claimed bold black letters on white T-shirts. That was the “sticky tricky” campaign slogan, with teenage girls persuading many a customer at a supermarket in Nugegoda one Saturday morning to buy a “sticky” product to secure shower items.

Just Rs. 60 and coming in black or white, once the receipt is issued the item is packed in a small brown paper bag, all environmentally friendly, and handed over to the buyer. This was a glimpse the public got of an efficient “school company” at work at the Cargills supermarket with schoolgirls taking the lead and no adults in sight.

“The sticky tricky campaign brought us Rs. 11,400 that Saturday but this is not our first attempt,” says 17-year-old Hasanji Ellawala of Musaeus College who is President of the Horizon Company that ventured to sell the “sticky tricky” product. Horizon had been launched by Hasanji and three friends in a venture to set up a business in school itself. Mobilizing others to join an eight-member Board of Directors, Hasanji and friends then set about selecting the management and also promoting their company among shareholders. “We sold a share at 10 rupees and were able to get 46 shareholders, investing a sum of Rs. 98,000 in our company. All the shareholders are students from our school,” says Hasanji.

Next came the dilemma of what they would deal in. But it did not remain a dilemma, because her dynamic team came up with the answer that they should deal in slippers.

“We bought the slippers on sub-contract but put our own designs with sequins on it,” says Production Director Hasini Apsara, 17. The target market was schoolchildren who came to view the products during the interval and the households they had contact with.

Three stocks have already moved very fast, each bringing in a profit of Rs. 8,000. Horizon’s hard work has paid off for it has become the first “globe company” from among the school companies in Sri Lanka to export its products. Friday, September 9, was a red letter day for them, for the first shipment of slippers, 25 pairs in sizes 6 and 7, was off to Wenzhou in China.
“They are rubber slippers with denim straps having a lovely design,” says Hasini and the sale is expected to bring US$ 123.75 to the company’s coffers.
And as the Horizon company awaits its annual general meeting on October 5, the books are ready for scrutiny by its shareholders.

“Half our profits will be shared among the shareholders as dividends and the other half channelled to a project in Peraliya called, ‘Let’s rebuild the Peraliya Sri Jinaratna Madhya Maha Vidyalaya’,” says Hasanji pointing out that they are a socially responsible company, taking their duties and obligations towards society seriously.

The school companies are part of the Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL) programme under which schoolchildren set up their own companies, appoint a board of directors — comprising a president, finance, marketing, production and human resource directors — decide on products, raise capital, operate bank accounts, run a true-to-life business, declare dividends and even liquidate the company after one year. They learn to work as a team, build confidence, using English as a common language to integrate with the global economy.

As one listens to these young entrepreneurs giving their vision, come thoughts of whether this is the exclusive domain of Colombo schools with all the facilities at their fingertips. A resounding “No” comes from YESL President Patrick Amerasinghe, who was the catalyst in floating the concept in Sri Lanka after a visit to America, soon after the youth insurrection here.

“In America, I came to learn of the Junior Achievement (JA) Programme founded in 1919. I was convinced that it would be an ideal programme for our country,” says Mr. Amerasinghe.

With support from USAID and a nod from the Ministry of Education, the YESL programme became a reality in Sri Lanka in 1997, when JA International granted franchise to Sri Lanka.

According to National Coordinator Dayani Edirisinghe, the YESL programme involves training young children on ethical business and preparing them as the future workforce in Sri Lanka. “We set up several business clubs in schools helping children run their own businesses and learn from this experience.”
There are three levels of programmes — elementary, middle and high school, all to make children understand business practices and economics, to be self-dependent, be workforce ready and be job creators instead of job seekers.
Adds Mr. Amerasinghe, “More than 300 schools including 100 rural schools covering over 30,000 children are part of the programme.”

Detailing a few of the thriving businesses in schools, Ms. Edirisinghe says Mahiyangana National College has two companies dealing in woodwork and home-made sweets; U.B. Wanninayake National School in Balalla, close to Anuradhapura, has six companies including those carrying out painting, a stationery retail business, home-made sweets and also flowers while Nivaththaka Chethiya Vidyalaya has two companies selling cool drinks and lunch packets. “Richmond College in Galle has a company doing a unique business – they sell goraka cream in yoghurt cups,” she adds.

Walking tall at Canada conference
Eight students from three schools were the proud participants at the 35th annual Canadian National Junior Achievement Conference held at St. John’s, New Foundland. Their presentation was declared the best by all the other participants, numbering around 250 from 18 countries.

Two were from Richmond College, Galle, one from St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and the other five from Musaeus College, Colombo. “It was a different kind of experience,” says Nimesha Herath, 19, from Musaeus. The main question addressed during the sessions lasting one week was: How can business harness skills, knowledge and experience to become leaders in community and industry?

“We got a standing ovation from the others and were dubbed intelligent, smart and friendly. They thought English is our first language,” says Nimesha adding with a smile, “They said we have great personality though we are short.”

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