The annual concert of the Village Heartbeat Project in Udumulla was held on 3 December 2009. 

It was an evening to remember in Udumulla, when members of the Children’s Goodness club joined hands with the students of the English classes to stage the annual concert which was held at the Village Heartbeat Centre in Udumulla. The centre was filled with families of the children who were eagerly waiting to see the talents of their loved ones.

The youth of the area got together and worked tirelessly the previous day to erect a very artistic ‘pandal’ at the entrance to the Centre.

The proceedings began with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp by the chief guest Mr. Kushil Gunasekera, Founder / Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness and other guests.

There were many traditional dance items performed by the girls whose graceful body movements to the rhythm of the drumbeats were truly moments of sheer enjoyment.

There were also dance performances to western music by the young ones.  The audience was captivated by the rhythmic movements of little Kushinari and Sadini whose talent for dancing was exceptional.

The students following the English Language program at the Village Heartbeat gave short speeches in English on topics such as ‘my village, ‘my country’ and ‘the importance of learning the English language’, to name a few. 

The members of the Children’s Goodness Cub showed exceptional talent when they performed two short dramas of everyday life in Udumulla.  One in particular, depicting a family where the father came home drunk every night.  The story ended with the father realising the error of his ways, thanks to the efforts of his two children who were benefitting from the Village Heartbeat Centre.  Lahiru, who played the role of the drunken father had the audience in fits of laughter.

The surprise of the evening was a specially composed rhyme sung in the ‘Virindu’ style which showed the appreciation and gratefulness of the villages to the founder of ‘Foundation of Goodness’ Mr. Kushil Gunasekera, of his tireless efforts to give better opportunities to the rural youth.

At the end of the concert each participant was presented with a gift of a book in the English language in appreciation for their participation and enthusiasm in making this concert a most enjoyable experience.
Kushil especially enjoyed the concert. “The talent of these children is exceptional and I wish to thank all those involved, the staff, young people and parents of Udumulla, and the international donors- Rhythm Foundation in particular- for their support which makes such opportunities available. It was a truly memorable occasion.”

2010.01.12