On 30th May 2009, 68 students graduated from their courses run by the Foundation of Goodness, including English, Computers, Diving School and Photography students. This was the first time a graduation for multiple sectors has been held, bringing all students together in a grand ceremony to give certificates of excellence and wish the students well for their future.
The courses delivered by the Foundation of Goodness aim to provide the skills that rural children and youth need to be able to lift themselves out of poverty and to find careers or employment in various sectors whether locally, in Colombo or internationally, while also empowering students to give back to those in need through community aid work, which they organise and fund-raise for as a team.
The Foundation of Goodness has been providing high quality learning facilities in Seenigama for the last 10 years, starting with the English and IT tuition in 1999, provided from the small community centre in the grounds of founder and trustee, Kushil Gunasekera's ancestral home in the village. Too often, villagers lack the opportunity to explore avenues for employment because of a lack of training facilities, exorbitant costs or long travel distances that make attendance impractical and expensive.
Since those early days, and with the coming of donors from around the world following the tragic events of the tsunami, the facilities provided by the Foundation of Goodness have grown beyond recognition.
This graduation ceremony is a great illustration of the achievements made by the organisation in these ten years, as village boys and girls learn new skills, develop creative and technical talent and have the opportunity to live their dreams and fulfil their ambitions as never before.
The ceremony was held at the Aviva housing complex community centre, with special guest Gamini Saparamadu, Managing Director of marketing and advertising company Kent gracing the occasion with his presence to inspire and motive the graduates as they take their next steps in life.
Following a welcome from village compères Manaram and Damika, the Sri Lanka flag was raised and a two minute silence held to remember the lives lost as a price for peace that has so recently dawned in this hopeful country.
The lighting of the traditional oil lamp is an important focus of Sri Lankan ceremonies, representing the bringing of light to dispel darkness. The lighing of the lamp is a special honour and was undertaken on this occasion by special guests, Foundation of Goodness staff, lecturers and students as hushed onlookers took the opportunity for reflection and prayer.
Special guest Gamini gave a stirring speech to the assembled crowd that motivated all who heard it, from his vast personal experience of striving for excellence and personal fulfilment. He spoke to the students about how to turn their creative ideas into reality by following six steps to achieve their goals: reflecting on where I was yesterday, thinking about where I am today, planning where I want to be tomorrow and in the future, defining my goals and deciding how to achieve them. His inspiring talk stressed the power that each student has to make their own choices about what they do with their lives, taking the advantages and skills that they have to define their goals and strive to reach their goals, just as he did, giving up a career in chemistry to follow his passion in creative arts and photography.
Feeling inspired, students of the Diving & Training Centre gathered to receive their certificates. They are the second batch of students to have completed the Professional Diving Class III with 24 students graduating, alongside 22 graduates of the 14 day Welding & Cutting course. Graduates were aged between 18 and 25 and come from 9 villages in the region.
In their thank you speech, students explained how impossible it would have been for them to undertake a course like this in the past, which is now provided to them free of cost, thus opening up doors to new found self confidence and a sense of self-worth, ambition and a striving for goals, whether to work abroad or in Sri Lanka with the partner company Dive Seenigama Lanka, which is currently bidding for diving contracts including at Ambalantota harbour in the south.
The 13 photography students, having completed their 3-month course under the tuition of Sugath Wijieyrathne collected their certificates next, and thanked the Foundation of Goodness and international donors IYF-Nokia for this amazing opportunity.
18 English class graduates aged 15-29 from the MCC Centre of Excellence, taught by Mr. Ranganath, received their certificates from Kushil Gunasekera, who is a great champion of English as a vital skill for children and youth to master if they are to progress well in their academic and work life.
Finally, 16 students from the MCC Centre of Excellence and the Aviva village computer training centres stepped forward to receive their certificates, supported by Senior Lecturer Mr. Saman Kumara.
To culminate the celebrations, Mr Ranganath and Mr Sabandu gave speeches of thanks to the gathered guests before the final words were given by Sector Coordinator for English, Environment Management and Busines Skills Mr. Dilip Kumara, thanking the Foundation of Goodness for providing opportunities for students that would never usually be possible, so that all who strive for it can achieve great things never expected by their parents or grandparents or imagined for rural youth, given the usual setbacks that face communities that are isolated from the benefits of urban facilities and opportunities.
Kushil, during his speech to the graduates summed up the day as a proud event for all involved, where parents and friends can celebrate the achievements of these students who have worked so hard to excel in their chosen courses. “The education in a classroom is not the end though” he advised the assembled crowd. “A certificate does not mean you are qualified- this only comes through experience and regularly applying your knowledge throughout your life. In the end, winners aren't those who do different things, they are those that do things differently- with passion, commitment and in an organised manner to achieve your goals. In the end, you don't need a certificate to serve humanity, which is the ultimate goal and if we all aspired towards it, imagine how we could change the world”.
“Excellence is not a skill, its an attitude”
2009.06.08 |
