COMMONWEALTH GAMES BATON PASSES THROUGH SEENIGAMA

The Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay is currently being passed through the 71 nations of the commonwealth on a journey taking one year and a day, before finally arriving in Australia for the Games in Melbourne in March 2006. We were honoured to be one of three destinations within Sri Lanka chosen for such a prestigious occasion. The Baton Relay also travelled through Colombo and Kandy, however Seenigama was the only village that the Commonwealth Games team visited. This highlights our close relationship with our friends in Australia and is a celebration of the support they have given us over the year.

There is a strong Australian presence throughout Seenigama and as the Baton was taken through the village it passed various projects that the Aussies have been so generous in helping us with. They have assisted us with housing, livelihoods, villagers' welfare needs, sport and youth activities and have offered us tremendous moral support during these difficult times.

The Baton came to Seenigama in great style arriving from Colombo on a special coach on a one- carriage train. The train was packed full of people from the Commonwealth Games Federation, the Sri Lankan Olympic Committee and the Australian High Commission plus camera crews from various TV stations in Sri Lanka and Australia! Louise Martin, the Honourable Secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Dr Greg French the energetic and dynamic Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka handed the Baton over to Kushil and the villagers.

A great procession passed through the village led by bagpipe players. The Baton was carried by the kids from the village, the Foundation staff and the volunteers. This was a wonderfully uplifting day putting Seenigama onto the international stage and showing the world the amazing work we have done since the tsunami.

To track the process of the Baton click on this link: http://www.melbourne2006.com.au.