Showing off their dancing, singing and acting skills, the children of the Seenigama and Udumulla Goodness Clubs put on a great show at last week's concert, held on the 22nd August 2009 at the Aviva Community Hall in Seenigama.
The children put in so much effort, with Children's Goodness Club sector coordinator Champa, to make this a truly memorable day, designing and making costumes, decorating the hall with beautiful flower arrangements, putting together dance routines, songs, and even writing their own play.
The concert started with the formal invitation of special guests into the community hall, accompanied by girls dressed in white bearing flower bouquets. The guests, including Founder and Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness, Kushil Gunasekera, Seenigama Manager Sampath Viraj, English visitors Kim and Andy, English Teacher volunteer Neil, Seenigama Sports Academy Manager Anura De Silva and Fazana Ibrahim, Manager of the Children's Development Sectors for the Foundation of Goodness, based in the Colombo head office.
After the lighting of the traditional oil lamp, which was simply beautiful, made of lotus flowers and grasses that hissed and sizzled in the heat of the candlelight, the concert got into full swing.
Fazana, Children's Goodness Club sector manager, describes how the day came about. “Brief discussions, organizing and preparations for the concert began from the month of June. More details, script writing and daily practices started in July. There were many e-mails, telephone conversations and meetings almost daily. It was not easy preparing check lists that included many areas as Kushil always needs a difference and perfection.
Payment requests,banner, invitations, oil lamp, speeches, dances, drama, songs, sounds, chairs, decorations, refreshments, agenda, photos, sounds, transport, lighting, publicity, tailoring, coordination all areas had to be covered in the check list.”.
Fazana goes on to comment that “it was a very special feeling that I had as this was the first annual CGC concert. It is not the easiest job to coordinate from Colombo but it had to be done to achieve success.
CGC is very dear to me as I absolutely love to work with kids and teenagers. I have been always telling them that the future lies in their hands. I have explained that Hon, Mahinda Rajapakse, Sanath Jayasuriya, Damayanthi Dharsha, many famous public figures were once kids and one of you will be one of these figures with a different name in future.
I know Kushil feels that it is difficult to change the thoughts and nature of adults as they are fixed in their certain ways. But it is different with kids, they can be guided to step in to the correct path through kindness and that is the reason he had wished for a Children's Goodness Club in the village.
Not only it was the first annual CGC concert, it was also the first time the welcome speech was delivered in English, and a curtain was used for the Aviva Community Hall Stage.
There were two significant times tears poured down my cheeks, the welcome speech in English with such self confidence and perfect pronouncing and Navodha Madubashini's dance with her very natural talent. I did see Kushil's tears during her extraordinary performance.
The other highlights were the drama script prepared by Champa and CGC members, depicting the positive and negative results of good and bad behaviour in a family, and the "VIRUDU" a dying form of communication that is authentic Sri Lankan. It is a way that one can deliver a message in poetic language explaining a series of various incidents or the nature of a person.
The drama was about a family with an alcoholic father and how he gives up his bad habit to secure the goodness of his children and family. These are morals taught and displayed all over the foundation by Kushil.
"VIRUDU" gave the message - that it is not easy to serve humanity and at the same time, one can receive good or bad name even after unlimited generosity by Kushil.
CGC members decorated the Aviva Community Hall with no cost, dry leaves and flowers, guided by Champa.
We even made the flower bouquets with flowers and leaves that were plucked from our very own village gardens.
I think all will agree that the oil lamp was a rare piece of work with the candles that were placed on lotus flowers, by the committed hard work by Kasun and his team.
The announcing was conducted by CGC members Mithu and Manaram both talented students of Dhammika Cyril. They handled the mike with ease.
The welcome dance, gratitude dance for the soldiers, solo performance by Kavisha Rasangi from CGC Udumulla who was chosen for the 5th round at Derana talent star contest.
The speciality and uniqueness of all these dance performers are that their talents are displayed by their very own hard work watching T.V., movies and choreographing their individual performances.
There was another moral message in a folk dance depicting the dangers of one's mouth used unwisely.
Another was the famous Ambalangoda puppet show performed by our CGC members.
There was another rare song that a father asks why only a mother is wished the aspiration of " Buddha " is it because I did not feed breast milk? gives the importance of a father's role in a child's life and it is not only a mother.
There was a Veddah dance typically from Dambana, Mahiyanganaya.
We had the certificate distribution for the students who completed the announcing course at Udumulla. The certificates were presented by Kushil and the lecturer, Daya Cyril Dhammika.
Speeches by Loku Sampath and there was a special message that Kushil mentioned and he was inspired to tell this after watching the drama, He mentioned that he has no funds and no problems, which brought humour to his speech.
All ended well with a surprise by Champa who had instructed CGC members to come and take Kushil and me to the stage in an inviting manner.
The National Anthem was played and all organizers, audiences and members were satisfied for a concert well done and enjoyed.”
Kushil was very impressed with the way the day was organised, and the talent and confidence of the children, through he stressed that the Children's Goodness Clubs have a serious role to play in the personal development of the children as well as the future of the villages in Sri Lanka, where traditional values, goodness and kindness towards others are values that need to be nurtured and entrusted to the youth so that even while Sri Lanka changes and develops, the most important and positive elements of rural society are maintained for future well-being and happiness.
“Greatness is not found in power, possessions or positions, but in goodness, humility and service to fellow men”
2009.09.07 |
