YESL and HSBC assist less privileged youth towards equivalence

 A thousand children moving upward and onward, embracing entrepreneurship to win the future – this is what participant children in the Future First program are experiencing.

The program is a collaborative venture between Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL) and HSBC targeting 1,000 less affluent children from schools and centres catering to disadvantaged communities.

Future First aims to improve the quality of life of these children and to inspire and groom our children to succeed in a global economy with social responsibility by making them work force ready, and training them to be entrepreneurial job creators and not job seekers.

Future First is funded by HSBC’s Global Education Trust and supported by HSBC Sri Lanka and implemented by YESL, a Franchise Holder and Member Nation of Junior Achievement World Wide – the oldest and fastest growing entrepreneur education programme in the world for the young generation of five to 25 years.

In the latest of these programmes, on 2 August 2012, the children of Grades 9, 10 and 11 of Revatha Royal College, Nugegoda, unveiled their efforts in creativity and entrepreneurship at a product launch during which they also introduced their JA/YESL companies. The students form true to life companies based on business economics, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work force readiness.

The product launch showcased three JA/YESL model companies – Success Partners, Own Energy, and Royal Teenagers – displaying a wide and varied range of products created and crafted by them.

The occasion was graced by YESL President Patrick Amarasinghe as Chief Guest, and HSBC Sri Lanka Corporate Sustainability Manager Dilini Fernando, and Ariyapala, a leading businessman of the area as Guests of Honour. Other members of the YESL staff and HSBC volunteers too were present on this occasion.

Principal of the School N. Udayakumara said that a program like Future First was a boon to the children at Revatha Royal College, with the majority of them coming from underprivileged homes and orphanages, and not having the opportunity to access the better equipped schools.

He noted that the exposure from such programmes improves students’ perceptions of the world at large and stimulates them to reach greater heights in life hitherto little known to them.

Amerasinghe stressed on the multiple benefits to the students, their personal lives, parents and homes, and the country. “Empirical experience reflects the change in a student ‘mindset’ and developed inherent self-confidence to face the world of work. Through these programs spanning over 14 years we are in our own way addressing the incessant concern by the authorities to produce more employable youth.”

Fernando said that the children who hailed from a difficult environment had progressed well. The products were of good quality and showed much effort by the Teacher-in-Charge and others responsible for this effort.

Teacher-in-Charge Indika Jayakodi stressed on the need for more awareness among students and parents about the Future First program and said that it required much effort to bring the students to the existing standard, adding that the program helped the children improve their wellbeing.

HSBC Volunteers Team Leader working with Revatha said that the response to the programwas very good and she could see much improvement.

Monica Pinto, a parent, expressed her delight at the achievements of the students and she too was of the opinion that a school like Revatha deserved programmes such as those under Future First much more than schools with better facilities.

Revatha Students R. Harshani, Fathima, Kanishka Gayan and Malin Nimal and others expressed enthusiasm about Future First and said it had become an important component in their lives enhancing their creativity, business acumen and creating awareness about social responsibility. They also valued the self confidence and team spirit it infused among them.

The program concluded with an interactive session on business ethics conducted by the HSBC Volunteers.