Photo by Pradeep Pathirana, from the Daily Mirro
By electoral fluke, the last mayor of Colombo was a trishaw driver. When he left office, he found himself without a job. Now he’s finally found work as a driver for the Sri Lankan Embassy in Korea. Today on Havelock Road over 10,000 people tried to follow him out. They lined up for a good kilometer, trying to just apply for a few jobs in Korea.
I was driving down Havelock Road wondering what was going on. The traffic was choked and there was a wall of people from Thumulla to the police station. Where, somewhat inexplicably, they were handing out applications. People need work. Hell, I need work. All the poorer people I know hustle hard, running their own house, cleaning other peoples houses, making roti, making lunch packets, whatever. Men or women go abroad, braving beatings, abuse, and possible rape or death in the Middle East to send some money home.
I used to go out with satellite crews to see what was going on. In the middle of nowhere you’d see a three story house coming up with chrome railings. We’d poke around the roof, trying to hook up the TV. They were towering above their neighbors, but there was no mother at home.
Anyways, I wax poetic. People are lining up in the thousands for a job, even if it’s a thousand miles from home. Life is better than during the war, but it’s still not living. People need jobs.
What a pity! There’s so much that needs to be done here, and a lot of pledged aid going unutilised. Most people seem to have their priorities all mixed up too.
I thought this tweet about the London riots was rather funny and familiar sounding.
“Syria Exbert
Only bolitical solushun will work in UK. Riots will not end unless root cause oph rioting is addressed: People’s lack of electronic gadgets about 3 hours ago”
There are jobs which Sri Lankans do not want to do or are unaware of how to get. They choose this method as it sounds the best alternative, not that they know anyone who has gone to Korea and returned and from that tale taken the decision to do the same.
So how about first making them understand from those who have gone before them and returned the experience of working in Korea, and then allowing them to make an informed choice.
Second, empower these people to get the jobs that are available by teaching the skills required. If they can pay and learn Korean they can also learn English, or am I missing something? Korean pays 150,000 and English pays 15,000!