Women will conquer the world Banuja Alex
Banuja Alex was born in 1995. She lives in Uduvil Jaffna with her mother and 2 sisters. Sadly her father passed away when she was still young.
Banuja Studied at the prestigious Uduvil Girls High School a private fee-paying school. Although the family was not rich, her parents made great sacrifices to pay the school fees. They were confident the high standard of teaching and discipline at the school would give Banuja the best start in life.
Banuja says her father was her backbone and her strength. “My father didn’t tell me how to live: he lived and let me watch him do it”.
After her father passed away, her family struggled financially. Being the oldest child Banuja decided it was her responsibility to take care of the family and ensure her sisters completed their education. Therefore she did not stay at school do her higher studies, but got a job as a teacher in a pre-school. She did however continue working on her qualifications and skills, and successfully completed NVQ Level 4 (equivalent to a Higher Education Certificate, the level above A’Level) at the age of 20.
Banuja commented: “I realized that the most important thing in life is application of mind. Knowledge can be borrowed but the important thing is where and how to apply it”.
At the most difficult period of her life, as a young girl with the heavy responsibility of financially supporting her family, opportunity knocked at her door. In reality, opportunity comes to those who look for it, so it was her who knocked on opportunity’s door.
Banuja attended training at the Uttumpirai Hindu College, where she learned various handicraft skills. Jewellery design, paper crafting, all done with simple basic tools. At a time when many youngpeople of her age are playing with or staring at their electronic devices, Banuja learned what wonderful things can be done with a pair of scissors, some paper, and a bottle of glue.
Banuja commented: “There are many messages, & many messengers all around us, but are we listening? We have no time to listen, we are too busy doing unnecessary work.”
Over the next two years Banuja learned and practiced her art. Watching YouTube videos, researching other resources using Google (yes, even electronic devices can be useful), and by continuous careful practice she built up the range and the depth of her skills in handicrafts.
Banuja commented: “Those two years really changed my perspective on many many things in life. I realised money is not a measure of a person’s skill.”
Banuja had to learn her art pretty much by herself. She wishes there was more support provided by the Government, both Central and Provincial, to fund small entrepreneurs like her to build their skills and their businesses. She asks “When the government is not releasing funds and helping us, how will poverty be eliminated?”
Banuja’s skills with handicrafts now helps to eliminate her family’s poverty. Poverty was the original motivator for Banuja to work so hard on her skills and her business. Now she teaches her skills to others, and provides them with the opportunity to earn a living.
“Poverty doesn’t kill skills” she said. Now she is an example to other youngsters in her village to try and work their own way out of poverty.
“I will not recall the tears in my mother’s eyes. I don’t think my mind was really shaped when my father passed away. That shaping started happened gradually”.
Banuja says that her father was her backbone and strength. Now she has to be the backbone and strength of her family, and she wants to be an example to make others strong too.
She believes: “Five things are most important in life: Vision, Mission, Commitment, capabilities, & efficiency. You need all 5 to come together to make a big success of any idea”.
