Pottery from the park

In the past, the villagers of Koulara had been engaged in the traditional brick making industry using local clay. Then along came the sugarcane plantation and factory and many villagers went to work as labourers, harvesting sugar cane. Interest in pottery dwindled. Now, thanks to a novel pottery project which draws its inspiration from the animals at the nearby Uda Walawe National Park, this village is being rejuvenated.

The ‘Animal Tracks’ pottery project began only in June this year, but the enthusiasm and progress made is quite remarkable. When The Sunday Times visited their pottery factory, built by the villagers themselves, we saw how the villagers, most of them women, were absorbed in their work, transforming chunks of clay into delicate end products such as pendants with animal faces, necklaces, trays, plates, mugs, display items, picture frames and much more.

These artistic products done by the Koulara community have a rhythm of their own – what is fascinating is that the National Park serves as a source of inspiration for the artists – and so a plate, mug and or even little pendant might bear a footprint -of an elephant or leopard. The ideas are fresh and contantly changing, like the jungle around them.

The project has clearly made a considerable difference in the lives of the villagers. Meneka Dilrukshi, a mother of two who has been working for nearly five months now after being unemployed enjoys the challenge. “This is a good initiative. It keeps us occupied and at the same time help us develop various skills,” she said adding that she hopes it would help her generate an income in the months to come.

Vidanagamage Indrani tells us that though she was engaged in cultivation earlier to support her husband, they were facing financial hardships due to the meagre income they earned not being sufficient for their needs. “If not for a project like this we would never be able to make use of our talents and therefore this is like a godsend for the villagers of Koulana,” she said.

“We make 75 – 100 ceramic pendants a day- all the products are handmade and the designs are based on animal themes. Once we receive orders we make the basic ceramic structure. The products are then sent to Colombo to be fired after which they are sent back to us to do the final touches,” she explained.

The MJF Charitable Foundation, together with the IUCN and Department of Wildlife were instrumental in bringing about this remarkable change in the lives of the villagers of Koulara. Through this empowerment project about 32 villagers were provided not just the equipment, material and the training but also the guidance of one of Sri Lanka’s pottery experts, Ajith Perera.

The training programme was planned for a year, Perera says, but as the villagers have grasped the basics they were able to complete the programme much sooner than they expected. “The villagers’ dedication and passion have made them master the skills in just three months,” he said, commending their efforts.

On completion of the training programme, the factory will be converted to a production unit.“At the moment we are creating a workforce so that in time to come we can even cater to the international market,” he said. The MJF Foundation values the villager – their projects aim at keeping the villager at the centre, he said.

“The villagers are poor, they do not have a proper income. But they have capabilities- it is opportunity that they lack. MJF is merely providing the guidance and the relevant support. Our main aim is that even once we leave, the project should not collapse. Since its inception, we have instilled in their minds that this is their own project,” he said adding that they also want to make this independent and want the villagers to run it on their own.

Perera explains that one of the biggest problems they faced was the attitude of people, especially towards pottery as this is considered the preserve of the low caste and people were reluctant to join at first.“Therefore it was mostly the older people who worked here, however now this has changed,” he smiled. Through projects such as these, they also intend to build a stronger relationship between the villager and the park.

Interestingly though the setting is rustic, the project functions like a proper office. “There is a president, a secretary, quality controller, an office for the president, auditorium, lunch room, reception, work place etc.

There is a strict set of rules - there is discipline and more importantly, no garbage around,” Perera said. In addition to the training programme, classes are also conducted for the workers to develop management skills and language proficiency.

With work proceeding at a brisk pace, plans are underway to set up a sales outlet at the entry to the Uda Walawe National Park to display their items for the visitors so that they can take back a souvenir inspired by the animals and created by local hands.