- Sri Lankan-Canadian tech entrepreneur Chanuka Wijesundara talks innovation and collaboration
Two Sri Lankan entrepreneurs living in Canada – Chanuka Wijesundara and Kamaj Silva – have started a venture that they hope will afford more opportunities to small-scale Sri Lankan entrepreneurs scattered across Canada, and perhaps even help their homeland – Sri Lanka. Titled Lankan Square, the website was created with the long-term goal of bringing together Sri Lankans living in Canada and building a better relationship among them.
We caught up with Wijesundara to find out more.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I am an IT professional, currently residing in Toronto, Canada. I grew up in Embilipitiya, Sri Lanka. I received my primary education at Embilipitiya National School. Then I entered the Open University of Sri Lanka for higher education. In addition, I studied at several private universities in the field of information technology.
When and why did you relocate to Canada?
I migrated to Canada in 2018 as a permanent resident. Several factors have contributed to my decision to move abroad, primarily because my wife is a Canadian citizen. Also, Canada is a land of opportunities and it will give a huge boost to grow my career in the IT field.
When and how did your fascination with technology start?
I have been fascinated with electronics and computer science since I was a child. I used to collect and read almost every technology magazine I could get my hands on, because access to the internet was rare and wasn’t the norm in my childhood. In school, I was associated with the school’s Innovation Club. In later years, I got to join the STEMUp Educational Foundation, the largest IT volunteer group in Sri Lanka, and worked as a volunteer for several years.
How was Lankan Square conceived? What’s the purpose behind it?
Lankan Square was started by me and Kamaj Silva, a well-known entrepreneur in Canada. One of the main reasons for starting this was to give more opportunities to small-scale Sri Lankan entrepreneurs currently scattered across Canada. For example, there is currently a large number of small-scale food vendors scattered throughout Canada who can only sell those products to people through personal reference and could not expand their services because there wasn’t a proper platform to advertise their products and services outside their communities. In addition, we offer newcomers to Canada the opportunity to find professionals such as a family doctor, a dentist, a lawyer, a plumber, etc., in their hometown who are fluent in Sinhalese, Tamil, and in English, within the Sri Lankan community.
Another important point is that a lot of Sri Lankans organise events and concerts throughout Canada but there is no platform or a website to buy tickets or to have information about those said events in advance, since it usually happens through friends and people from the community. So, we have created Lankan Square, a platform that allows organisers to advertise their events and for the people to buy all their tickets in one place. This platform is available to all Sri Lankans in any city in Canada.
How has the reception been since you launched it?
We have received a really good reception since we launched Lankan Square. Although it has only been a short time since this was started, we received good feedback from a lot of people from the Sri Lankan community, and it shows that there is a huge need for a platform like Lankan Square for Sri Lankans to get together and to help small-scale Sri Lankan businesses to expand and grow in Canada.
What are your thoughts on the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka?
First of all, I would like to say that I am saddened by the current situation in our country. This is something that has been predicted for several years. The worst is that almost all of the country’s foreign exchange earning channels are paralysed. I also see the non-implementation of projects that generate revenue from foreign loans as a serious problem. However, it isn’t easy to imagine that this situation will be resolved soon. I believe that if we work for a few years under a proper national policy, our country will be able to prosper.
Can ventures like Lankan Square attempt to help in any capacity?
Yes, of course, another purpose of launching Lankan Square is to make a significant contribution to the Sri Lankan economy. We can also see the Lankan Square programme as a bridge between Canada and Sri Lanka. Through this, you can find an opportunity for Sri Lankan products in the Canadian market. At present there are large-scale distributors of Sri Lankan products in Canada; we are ready to join hands with them and make some contribution to bringing foreign exchange to Sri Lanka. In addition, we have no plans to limit our programme to Canada, and we hope to expand it to other countries in the future. We hope that through that, we will be able to do something good for our country.
With the current economic climate in Sri Lanka, most people are leaving the country. What are your thoughts on this, and what advice would you give them?
The most educated and intelligent youth who leave the country in this manner are the future of the country, so we will see the negative consequences of this in the next decade. The brain drain and the departure of the country’s labour force are by no means good things. But I think we need to respect their right to a better life.
What do you like most about living where you live?
What I like most is that there are so many opportunities in Canada. They can move forward in any field they like. Also, Canada is a multicultural country where everyone respects each other – that is a good thing I see in this country.
Is there a need for a sense of Sri Lankan community where you live and if yes, why?
Yes, of course. I think it’s necessary because all of us who live in Canada come to Canada for various reasons, but our family and friends are still in Sri Lanka. So the loss of family, the food we are accustomed to, and the loss of the climate of our country is all in everyone’s minds. We can call it a culture shock. But I think if we can unite as a Sri Lankan community, that stress can be alleviated to some extent.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Yes, we have started a blog to share the experiences of our brothers and sisters in Canada, parallel to the Lankan Square website. We hope that those who come to Canada will be able to gain a lot of knowledge in the future, and we urge all Sri Lankans in Canada to join us.
Website: www.lankansquare.com
