STORY: A Shared Path | A "city on the sea" bears aspirations of Sri Lankans
DATELINE: Oct. 18, 2023
LENGTH: 00:08:11
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

STORYLINE:

Sri Lanka, a "gem in the Indian Ocean." The vast expanse of the sea has always been a blessing for locals. However, it also limits the island country's potential for development.

Puttalam Village
Sri Lanka

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Local resident, and his son
Son: "Dad, I don't want to be a fisherman when I grow up."
Father: "Then, what do you want to do?"
Son: "I'd like to do something that no one in our village has ever done before."
Father: "Son, what's that indeed?"
Son: Dad, do you think a city can grow from the sea?

Sanjeewa Fernando couldn't answer his son's question. But maybe he could give him an answer the second day.

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Local resident
"Son, tomorrow I'm going to the port city for a job interview. Wanna come along?"

Explorers are bound to succeed.
-- A Sri Lankan proverb

Fernando's interview day

For Fernando and his interviewer, they didn't yet know that they happened to share the same first name.

Sanjeewa Fernando, Job seeker
Sanjeewa Alwis, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO and his wife
"Wife: Have a good trip.
Husband: We'll be back soon."

Fernando hoped that he could be lucky enough to secure a job with a stable income for his family.

He went to Colombo, 130 km from his home, for the interview. There were more job opportunities there than in his hometown.

Colombo, Sri Lanka

SOUNDBITE (English): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"Too much traffic."

Sanjeewa Alwis has already got used to the hustle and bustle of Colombo, where the construction of the mega project Port City Colombo is underway.

As Sri Lanka's first special economic zone for high-end services, the port city is being built on 269 hectares of land reclaimed from the ocean and annexed to the city of Colombo.

The project is seen as an example of cooperation between Sri Lanka and China under the Belt and Road Initiative.

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): Doorkeeper
"For job interview? Just go straight ahead."

Fernando was the first one to be interviewed.

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"Have you any proof of job qualification as a painter? Or others, such as a certificate of electrician."

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Job seeker
"I was a little nervous for the job interview in the port city, because I had never been in one like this before."

SOUNDBITE (English): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"We'd better arrange a hands-on test involving painter and electrician's work for Fernando."

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"What type of circuit breaker is it, four pole or three pole?"

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Job seeker
"It is a four-pole circuit breaker."

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"What's its rated amperage?"

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Job seeker
"For this circuit breaker, probably 60 amps."

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"60 amps. That's it."

13 years ago, Alwis also faced a life-changing opportunity while working in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
The electrical engineer had lived overseas for many years, but always aspired to fulfill his potential in his hometown one day.

SOUNDBITE (English): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"There was a report (in 2010) that the Sri Lankan government was going to build an international financial center in Colombo in collaboration with Chinese enterprises. So that news surprised me. If the international financial center is built in Sri Lanka, there will be more opportunities for Sri Lankans."

In 2016, Alwis and his family moved back to Sri Lanka. Soon afterwards, as he had wished, he joined the Port City Colombo project. In January 2019, the project marked a milestone when the total land reclamation of 269 hectares was completed. Alwis and his colleagues were overjoyed.

SOUNDBITE (English): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"I am proud that the port city is an unprecedented project in Sri Lanka's history. Whatever we are doing is a sample of Sri Lanka's future."

In the first test, Fernando didn't perform as well as he had wished.
However, he's good at painting, so he wanted to impress the examiner, Alwis, in this test.

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"What would you do to repair if there are hollows on the wall?

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Job seeker
"We can repair it with primer, or use new paint material."

SOUNDBITE (English): SANJEEWA ALWIS, Electrical and mechanical engineer with Port City Colombo project
"During the practical test, we found out he has more painting experience than the electrical experience. So we may give him a chance to work in the port city project after considering the other candidates' experience also."

While anxiously awaiting the outcome of his interview, Fernando's expectations for the Port City Colombo project grew.

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): KASSAPA SENARATH, Head of Public Relations, Port City Colombo project
"There will be a big park in the port city and you can do all kinds of sports there."
"When will the project be completed?"
"That's a good question. We hope the Port City Colombo project will be completed in 25 years. You can realize your dream in the port city, no matter what career you will take when you grow up, be it an athlete, office worker, or captain."

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Job seeker
"I think this project will bring a lot of opportunities for the development of Sri Lanka. I think our next generation will be able to find better jobs in the port city."

The "city on the sea" bears the aspirations of many Sri Lankans to develop their homeland and realize their dreams.
It's also an embodiment of the new practice of sustainable urban development under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Port City Colombo project is expected to create
over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs for Sri Lankans.

SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Local resident, and his son
Son: "Dad, now I'm sure about my future career."
Dad: "Son, what would you do?"
Son: "I want to be a shipmaster in the port city when I grow up."

It suddenly occurred to Fernando that the sea is no longer a constraint for the imagination of the younger generation.

SOUNDBITE (English): Sri Lankan child
I want to be a scientist.
I want to be a pilot.
I want to be an architect.
I want to be a doctor.
I want to be a lawyer.
I want to be a captain.
I want to be a teacher.


Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)