Doing business in the ethnically-mixed and troubled Trincomallee district poses some special problems but innovative entrepreneur Sandya Priyadarshini believes in taking all these issues in her stride and swears by the principle of being ‘fair by all at all times’.

Prior to taking up her present business line as a caterer and restaurateur in Trinco-mallee, Priyadarshini suffered a number of entrepreneurial setbacks which almost clouded her future. However, a steely determination to forge ahead saw her taking these challenges in her stride and making a resounding come-back in business. Beside her resourcefulness she says that ‘an entrepreneurial spirit and innovative zeal’ have seen her through to success.

A native of Trincomallee, tragedy first struck in 1987 when the IPKF operations were in full swing in the district. The unsettled conditions wrecked the fishing industry in the region and put an end to the fish trade she and members of her family were engaged in. She tried to make a come-back in this business in the Katunayake area subsequently but the LTTE attack on the BIA put paid to all her hopes. She tried to revive her business fortunes in Trincomallee once again but the devastating tsunami waves of 2004 made short work of her enterprise.

Not to be outdone by these ‘stings of fortune’ she tried her hand in catering and the ‘take-away’ meals business and now finds that these are ‘going concerns’ in Trincomallee. ‘Outdoor buffets are one of my main business lines and I cater to the principal organizations in the region at their seminars and other occasions’, Priyada-rshinie explained.

An official of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Trincomallee, it is her endeavour to bring into this body as many women entrepreneurs as possible out of consideration for the gender-balance principle.

As coordinator for micro-finance of the Chamber, it is also her aim to cater to all communities. She does this with the assistance of the Business for Peace Alliance (BPA), for whom communal harmony is a prime focus.

Left to themselves, the communities of Trincomallee get on fine, it is some of the politicians who trigger communal disharmony in the region, Priyadharshanie said. However, equity is my aim, she explained. She also functions as the Eagle Insurance Team Manager for Trincomallee.