On July 8th 2009, the children at Lahiru Pre-School took part in their own Esala Cultural Pageant in Seenigama, sponsored by the Rythm Foundation.

The Lahiru Preschool in Seenigama was opened in 2006, providing routine, play and education opportunities in a safe environment to help children deal with the trauma of the tsunami and develop skills to help them cope at school and later in life. Two classes provide high quality daily supervision for local children, staffed by a team of 4 pre-school teachers, in good quality facilities including a playground, daily meals, health & dental care, all free of charge.

In Seenigama, the provision of free pre-school for 63 children aged 3-5, providing a grounding in Sinhala and English- medium education and play is vital. Based in the heart of the village, places are in high demand and teachers are dedicated to improving their own knowledge and using new methods to help children develop, for the improvement of their education long after they have left.

Classroom based education is complemented by a calendar of community, religious and cultural events throughout the year. This is an important part of the upbringing of children within a traditional Sri Lankan community. And so, children were delighted to take part in the Perahera in July.

After two weeks of careful preparation, the children danced and sang, dressed up in traditional costumes, in the procession from the preschool premises to the Devol Dewalya (temple) and back.

The Esala Perahera is Sri Lankan Buddhist cultural festival celebrated every summer, the most famous one taking place in Kandy with lavishly decorated elephants and fire-jugglers.

There were no elephants in sight, but the Lahiru Pre-School kids dressed as Kandyan drummers lead the parade, followed by dancers covered in glitter and little girls.

Despite the scorching heat, the children paraded without complaint. At the temple, they were provided with refreshments before they continued the procession back to the preschool premises.

Teachers and parents lined the path taken by the procession, proudly pointing out their own children.

Kushil knows the importance of ensuring that traditional and religious events are central to the early year’s education of Sri Lankan children. He noted that “this is such a beautiful event for these young children to take part in, and the organisation was immaculate, which is a credit to all involved, including Helen, the Pre-School Manager, Champa the coordinator and our four dedicated teachers, Jayamini, Inesha, Tharuka & Chammi. The children are benefiting from free education through our small pre-school, and I am so happy that the school is completely entwined into the life of the community. Parents, friends, brothers and sisters all enjoyed watching this Perahera which represents our religious life and traditions. What a wonderful experience for all involved”.

The Pre-school which is the heartbeat of the Foundation of Goodness emerged post-tsunami thanks to the generosity of the Stafford International School in Colombo and prior to the tsunami this location used to be our Community Activity Centre for the village equipped with English teaching, computer training, maternity clinic and a children’s play park. Hence this is the place where it all began and similarly preschool children cement a good foundation paving the way to a bright future.

“As the soil, however rich it may be, cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit.”

2009.07.20