Innovation: How I See It In Our Daily Sri Lankan Life

Zahra

How I See It in Our Daily Sri Lankan Life

When I hear the word innovation, I don’t imagine rockets or billion-dollar labs. For me, it feels much closer. It’s in how we survive here in Sri Lanka, how we find little tricks to make life easier when things get tough. Innovation, to me, is simply finding a new way when the old way doesn’t work anymore.

My First Glimpse of Innovation

I didn’t learn about innovation from books. I learned it right in my own neighborhood. During the fuel shortage, I saw people doing amazing things. Some repaired old bicycles, others shared tuk rides, and many even started walking again for short trips. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was smart. It was survival.

Even I had to adapt. I started relying more on online grocery orders. My local shop aunty began taking orders on WhatsApp and delivering through her grandson’s bike. That moment hit me: innovation isn’t always shiny—it’s often simple, born out of need.

Work and Learning Shifted

I also remember when schools and offices suddenly went online. At first, many of us were lost. Zoom felt strange. Some teachers barely knew how to share a screen. But slowly, people figured it out. I saw my own relatives learning to use WhatsApp voice notes for lessons. Parents shared data connections just so their kids could attend classes.

Personally, I started working more online too. And honestly, it saved me hours I used to waste stuck in traffic. Looking back, it wasn’t easy, but it was innovation at its best people adjusting, learning, and moving forward.

It also made me realize something deeper. Innovation is not just about convenience; sometimes, it is about accessibility. Students in rural areas who never had resources suddenly found YouTube tutorials to help with lessons. Parents who couldn’t afford private classes turned to free online content. I saw how innovation in learning broke barriers, even if it was not perfect. It gave people opportunities that did not exist before.

Technology, But in Our Own Way

Yes, technology is everywhere. But what I love is how Sri Lanka makes it our own. I’ll never forget the first time I paid for tea with a QR code at a small shop in Colombo. It felt odd at first. Now, I don’t even carry much cash anymore.

What’s interesting is how quickly even street vendors adapted. That’s the real power of innovation—it works when it meets real needs. For us, standing in long queues at banks is not practical. Mobile banking changed that. Small things like this make life smoother.

But there’s also another side. Not everyone adapts at the same speed. I’ve seen elders in villages struggling to use smartphones, unsure about scanning codes or trusting digital banking. This made me realize innovation is only powerful when it is inclusive. If people are left behind, then the innovation is incomplete. So, the real challenge is not just creating new systems, but making sure everyone can benefit.

When Things Don’t Work Out

Of course, not all my innovation stories are wins. A few years back, I tried starting an online business with a friend. We were excited, thought we’d cracked the code. But reality hit us—low sales, high delivery costs, endless struggles. At first, it felt like failure.

Later, I realized it wasn’t wasted time. It taught me how hard digital marketing really is, how much people value trust, and how delivery can make or break a business here. Innovation sometimes feels like trial and error. But I guess that’s the point—you learn, you adapt, and you try again.

I’ve come to believe that failure is a teacher. Some of Sri Lanka’s greatest innovations have come from repeated trial and error. Whether it’s farmers testing new crops or startups experimenting with eco-products, the process is never smooth. And that’s comforting in a way—it reminds me that even when I stumble, I’m still moving forward.

Innovation in Daily Sri Lankan Life

When I look around, I see small but powerful examples everywhere. Farmers testing organic methods. Students creating apps to track buses or avoid traffic. Families installing solar panels to deal with power cuts. Even little things, like people reusing bottles to grow home gardens.

This is why I believe innovation belongs to all of us. It’s not reserved for scientists or big companies. It lives in our kitchens, in classrooms, in crowded buses, and in small businesses. Wherever there’s a challenge, there’s a chance for innovation.

I once visited a village where people built a simple rainwater harvesting system using barrels and pipes. It wasn’t fancy, but it saved them during dry months. That moment stayed with me. Innovation doesn’t need to be complex—it just needs to make life better.

The Road Ahead

If you ask me, the future of innovation in Sri Lanka will be about sustainability and survival. We can’t always depend on expensive imports or unstable systems. Already I see young entrepreneurs doing amazing work—turning plastic into eco-bricks, building eco-packaging from coconut husks, or designing solar-powered tools.

These ideas might look small today, but they hold the key for tomorrow. And what makes me proud is that our innovations often come from the ground up, shaped by real struggles, not just big dreams.

I also believe that innovation will play a big role in tackling unemployment. With fewer traditional jobs available, young people are starting their own ventures, freelancing online, or using creativity to earn a living. This shift is scary at times, but it’s also empowering. It shows that Sri Lankans are not waiting for opportunities—we’re creating them.

My Final Thoughts

For me, innovation is not a big fancy word anymore. It’s something I see, touch, and live every day in Sri Lanka. It’s how we manage with less, how we survive shortages, how we build hope even when things feel uncertain.

I’ve learned that innovation is really a mindset. It’s about refusing to stay stuck. It’s about asking, “What if there’s another way?” Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails—but every try makes us better.

I may not be an inventor, but I carry innovation in how I work, how I save, how I adapt. And when I look around at my people—resilient, creative, and determined—I know that innovation is alive here. It’s what keeps us moving forward, even when times are hard.

In the end, innovation is not only shaping Sri Lanka’s future—it’s shaping us. And maybe that’s the most beautiful thing about it: it doesn’t just change our systems; it changes our spirit. It gives us hope that no matter what challenges come our way, we will find a way forward.