ENGAGEMENTS AND LIVELIHOODS

Just Engaged...

Our friends and supporters Duncan Tate and Jody Brin gave us such a wonderful and unique donation that we wanted to share it with all our friends and supporters. For their recent engagement they asked their friends and family to give donations to the Foundation of Goodness rather than spend money on presents for Duncan and Jody. Not only was this a unique way to donate money but it was also an amazing gesture and a truly selfless act.

We express our thanks to all those who donated instead of giving Duncan and Jody engagement gifts - thanks to those who gave cash through Duncan and Jody and to those who sent their donations to the Foundation: Mr & Mrs G L Berg, Mr L A Pipe, Mr & Mrs H J Reynolds, Mr & Mrs A Cohen, Mrs P Dadoun, and R N Goldman Esq.. May we also take this opportunity to congratulate Duncan and Jody on their engagement and wish them all the happiness for their future.

Livelihoods Update

Our Livelihoods projects for the people of Seenigama are incredibly important and one of the key areas that generous donors such as Duncan and Jody's friends, and our many other supporters, contribute towards. To date we have given 400 livelihoods. This includes staff working in our new industries such as the Brush Block Factory which is up and running successfully and was recently featured on our website. The reason this particular area is so important is that we are dedicated to providing the villagers with alternative incomes and helping them as best we can to move on from the coral mining of the past. 90% of the villagers were dependant on the illegal industry of coral mining for generations which is highly detrimental to the environment. Our aim is to provide them with alternative avenues of income generation in order to prevent them doing this ever again. Nothing before made them give up not even the laws of the land, the tsunami has discouraged them as they know that coral mining was one of the key reasons why the village of Seenigama was hit so badly when the sea water traveled up to 2km in land.

We have helped with many new self employment opportunities and new industries. Recently Chaminda Vaas handed over the keys to M Sarath for a new tuktuk, Kokila Premarathna (who has lost the use of his legs) was given a tuktuk to help him to deliver the lottery tickets he sells, and A H Sirani Puspalatha was given help to open a new café. Rumesh (below) used to earn his money from coral mining but with his new machine has instead started up a spray painting business.

These are just a few stories of the many livelihoods we have donated with thanks to all our supporters for their kindness, thoughtfulness and never ending generosity.