Page 54 - Hemas_Piyawara_Book

Another observation which struck Murtaza was how the underprivileged children
suffered, while the more affluent middle and upper classes pumped in money for their
children to have better facilities. The poor were the worst deprived.

The tsunami, meanwhile, had wreaked further havoc, extensively damaging homes
and other buildings, leaving families in shock and dismay.

Murtaza was also part of the team which went from pillar to post, one Pradeshiya
Sabha (PS) to another, to get land for the construction of the new preschools. It was
“frustrating”. The red tape and bureaucracy were sorted out only after they had a
heads-up that the best way would be to approach the Chairmen of the PSs through the
Chief Minister of the respective province.
“Once the Chief Minister’s office gave the green light, the red tape disappeared and
everything fell into place,” says Murtaza, recalling how he journeyed hither and thither
with the Executive Director of the Hemas Tsunami Foundation, Shiromi Masakorala,
the Deputy Director of the Children’s Secretariat, Jayantha Peiris, and a few of his
officials in a small van, as he was chairing several meetings with the PS Chairmen.

The varied personalities of the different Chairmen “fascinated” Murtaza – as
Children in a camp in the east (above). Families in a camp in the Jaffna peninsula (below).
the structures rose from scratch, some visited the preschools which were under
construction to see their progress, while others hardly gave a thought to them. Some
even wanted to make a buck on the side from what was meant for the benefit of the
children.
He himself learnt a valuable lesson……how to garner their goodwill, not by pushing
one’s weight, but through a combination of tactful but persistent pressure, goodwill
and charm which was the forte of Shiromi.

Later as Murtaza wondered how the Hemas Group would come up with the huge Rs.
120 million target for the preschools in tsunami-hit areas, when his own thinking was
that maybe the funding should be about Rs. 25m, he realized how much goodwill the
company had.
With the Hemas Group as a corporate being respected for following ethical,
accountable and transparent business practices, the funds flowed in and it became a
“wonderful” model for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

“This model can be applied in every field and we can develop Sri Lanka so beautifully,”
adds Murtaza.

46 Hemas Piyawara - A Journey to the Future