The Foundation of Goodness sends heartfelt sympathy to all those who lost loved ones in the tsunami that hit on Boxing Day five years ago. Across the world many thousands of people will be mourning those who passed, and here in Seenigama and the villages around it is no exception.

Members of the Foundation of Goodness have many sad stories to tell, of loved ones swept away. Of houses that took many years of hard labour to build brought to the ground in minutes, of memories lost in the waves.

But out of the destruction that took away all hope, somehow, in our villages, hope has been reborn.
Though lives will be forever touched by sadness, there is energy of achievement and opportunity amongst the children and youth of the Seenigama region.

The work of the Foundation of Goodness, along with the compassion and support of donors worldwide, the hard work of volunteers from many different walks of life, and the enthusiasm and incredible learning capacity of villagers and the FoG team, stands as testimony to successful post-disaster relief management and long term sustainable community development.

The Foundation of Goodness, with support from Aviva, KMPG, LOLC, Perth City Council and the Victoria Government, Australia, as well as Children Action and many individuals, built and repaired 1026 houses. The new houses were built in complexes with facilities including community centres, play parks, libraries, computer training and children/ youth goodness clubs.

But, for the Foundation of Goodness, the work does not stop with building stong, weatherproof homes with a garden, running water, electricity and sanitation.

The Foundation of Goodness is committed to providing facilities for rural children and youth to build on their skills and to provide opportunities for these skills to be recognised.

Sports is key to this, paving the way for talented youth to hone latent talent and receive the recognition they deserve which is usually reserved for the more affluent Colombo schools. From small beginnings, playing informal cricket and volleyball matches in the village, Seenigama now boasts a magnificent Sports Academy, with Surrey County Cricket Club sponsored Sri Wimala Buddhi MV Oval, netball and volleyball courts, outdoor practice nets and the 25m Bryan Adams Swimming Pool. Cricket teams, volleyball teams and individual swimmers have all received national recognition this year, and the successes are set to continue as young children and youth are given undreamed of exposure.

A Pre –School, English classes, IT training, women’s enterprise courses and business skills centre all provide the opportunities for those who have previously been excluded from learning such essential skills because of their rural backgrounds. Two centres- the MCC Centre of Excelllence in Seenigama and the Udumulla Village Heartbeat Project- stand as replicable examples of successful holistic community development, where thousands of people are enabled to tackle poverty through productive activities.

But skills provision is not enough either. Good living is essential for the wellbeing of every person. Children’s Goodness Clubs run by the Foundation of Goodness is three villages provide the essential lessons for children and youth. Under the moto ‘be good, do good’, children learn to take responsibility for their lives, while showing kindness in their family life and compassion in their community. Every child is taught their own power to make a difference, to be a positive light in the world through a curriculum of goodness that teaches the 25 superior qualities that enable you to become a great human being and experience supreme happiness.

At the same time, people’s basic needs are catered for in term of medical care, dental care and psycho-social support.

The environment is managed and enhanced through recycling projects, home garden cultivation, community education.

This community is thriving again. Villages have been reborn from the rubble. Somehow, after just five years, Kushil Gunasekera and his team have turned the waves of destruction into waves of success, establishing 30 sectors to empower those who were left with nothing but their determination and courage to rebuild their lives.

The Foundation of Goodness was established as a registered charity in 1999, bringing into being the dream Kushil had of returning to his ancestral village to help those in need. Ten years on, this is the fulfilment of his dream. A project that has been recognised as the best post-tsunami reconstruction project of all studied by R.M.I.T University, Melbourne, Australia. A project that caters to the needs of 20,000 beneficiaries a year from 25+ villages, as well as helping children from all over the island through development programmes such as the annual Essential School Supplies Distributions.

Kushil is joined by a strong team of trustees who lend their support and guidance to the Foundation of Goodness’ work. Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas have been with Kushil from early on. Joining them as trustees are Ashan Malalasekera and Rohan Iriyagolle. Most recently, Kumar Sangakkara has come on board, making this a committed and vibrant team to take the Foundation of Goodness to new heights.

And now, with the experience gained from this magnificent work, the Foundation of Goodness is poised for another exciting 5 years, as its ‘Learning & Empowerment Institute for the North’ gathers momentum. With a UK volunteer architect on board, donors showing interest, hopefully with the blessings of the government, and partnership with other Sri Lankan and diaspora organisations, the stage is set for the Foundation of Goodness to do what it does best- help people to lift themselves out of devastation and into a bright future in the spirit of Goodness.

For more information: www.unconditionalcompassion.org

- Quen Geuter, Foundation of Goodness

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

2009.12.28