“Fear grows out of the things we think,
it lives in our minds.
Compassion grows out of the things we are,
and lives in our hearts.”
- Barbra Garrison

Being compassionate, is a wonderful yet rare humane quality, one which is truly understood only by those who are selfless and have the divine ability of feeling the suffering of others and doing whatever they can to ease their pain. Being compassionate is equally meritorious as it is rewarding.  

The Foundation of Goodness (FoG) has been doubly blessed in that we have a number of such compassionate individuals associated with our work and also because we are able to help them connect with some of the neediest and most deserving people, in Seenigama and its region.

In the past month, there have been a number of instances which saw the hardship of some of the rural underprivileged eased. The compassion which arose in individuals to fill the need of the less fortunate is all the more praiseworthy as they were never approached but gave of their own free desire.

SHELTER
Together with food and clothing, shelter makes up the three most basic of human needs. Amongst the rural disadvantaged people in Seenigama and its region, permanent shelter is one of the most lacking, with many living either in temporary abodes – such as mud or thatched structures, encroached space and sharing or renting accommodation.

(L-R) Dinesha’s house & Chandrika’s house
thanks to kind donors in Australia

In this environment, owning ones own home is a dream come true. And so it was for two women Dinesha and Chandrika who thanks to the compassion of Mr. Millon de Kauwe and Mr. David Cruse of Australia and Dr. & Mrs. Stanley & Suramya Rajapakse also of Australia are now the proud owners of new houses built specially for them.

In some instances there are poor rural people who own their own homes but who do not have the means to maintain it, making day to day living a misery especially in rainy weather.   

(L-R) Kanthi’s roof being fixed
and Srimawathi’s house with the completed roof –
all courtesy donors from Australia

This was how it was for Kanthi Wickramaratne and for Srimawathi. The roofs of these two women’s houses were dilapidated and open to the elements, until once again compassionate donors Dr. & Mrs. Stanley & Suramya Rajapakse of Australia and their fellow countryman Ms. Sabrina Peiris stepped in to ease these people’s suffering, which they rejoice after many years of struggle.

LIGHTING UP LIVES
Some disadvantaged rural people lack houses, others roofs while some lack electricity, which in this day and age is no more a luxury but a necessity.

Faces light up as Babi Nona’s household
now enjoys electricity for the first time

Once again Ms. Sabrina Peiris along with her friends stepped in to assist Babi Nona get an electricity connection to her house. Babi Nona wasn’t the only one. Seven others like her in Seenigama and its region were assisted to get a domestic electricity supply thanks to Ms. June Jach of Life Jacket Co., UK.

As the great scientist Albert Einstein once explained "A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty" - if only this can be practiced in its entirety, what a truly wonderful world this would be.

A truly compassionate man him self, the founder /trustee of the Foundation of Goodness (FoG) Kushil Gunasekera has been touched by the recent spate of compassionate givings, which the Foundation of Goodness has been overseeing to fruition. Commenting on the kindness of these individual donors Gunasekera said “compassion is one of the most extraordinary qualities of a noble human being, who sees others in misery and attempts to alleviate their hardships unasked. Giving is also the key in practicing letting go, which brings so much happiness. It is easy to give when requested, but is not the case otherwise. Our own Foundation emerged because of this quality of compassion which is why both kindness and compassion have multiplied so much.”

If you would like to extend your help to making life better for a poor rural villager in Seenigama and its region – particularly the provision of electricity and water being the most basic necessities to human existence, you can visit Sponsor Worthy Projects for more details and also learn more about How You Can Help.

“Courage is the first of all human qualities
because it is the quality
which guarantees all others”
- Aristotle

2008.09.22