11 December 2009

Over 500 guests gathered on the evening of 4 December at Il Ponte, Hilton Colombo, for the launch of Paramparaven 2009, an exhibition and sale of beeralu lace products made by tsunami-affected entrepreneurs from Mirissa.

The Chief Guest at the event was Mr Bruce Levy, High Commissioner of Canada in Colombo, accompanied by his partner, Ms Ingrid Knutson. They were welcomed by the organisers of the event, Mr Nick Nicolaou, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives and Dr Padma Ratnayake, Executive Director, South Asia Partnership Sri Lanka (SAPSRI). Mr Levy gave a short speech, in which he outlined his support for work such as this that empowers women. Later on in the evening, the guests were treated to a spectacular catwalk show and one-off performance by the lace-makers.

The event was a culmination of a year’s work helping the beeralu-lace makers of Mirissa and a celebration of their triumph against the odds. Building on the success of previous ‘Paramparaven’ events, which have been held since 2006, this year’s exhibition revealed new dimensions to Beeralu lace, with the introduction of vibrant colours and a contemporary white, beige and ivory palette. The product range expanded to include household linen, shoes, ornaments and more.

The exhibition and sale continued on 5 December, when many people took the opportunity to drop in, browse the products and buy Christmas presents.

The annual exhibition and sale plays an important role in reviving the beeralu industry. It not only raises the profile of the industry, but also introduces the products to new people and the producers to buyers – vital if the industry is to provide a sustainable income for generations to come. All the money raised through the sale will support the lace makers .

Beeralu lace-making was introduced to Sri Lanka during the period of Dutch colonization in the fifteenth century. It has been practiced by women living in the south coast of Sri Lanka for centuries, but was fast becoming a dying art. The tsunami of 2004 delivered a devastating blow to the industry, destroying the lace-making equipment and materials.In 2005 SAPSRI joined in partnership with HSBC to revive the industry and help 200 tsunami-affected women from Mirissa rebuild their livelihoods. The project provided equipment, training and microfinance, and the women shook off the industry’s old-fashioned image, creating new products and designs that appealed to a new market. Building on the success of this project, SAPSRI and HSBC have launched a new project to transfer traditional beeralu lace-making skills to 100 young women.