More than 120 young women from the Seenigama region graduated from the Foundation of Goodness’s Women’s Enterprise Centre at a gala celebration last week. The students have completed courses in beauty culture, patchwork, sewing and lace-making sponsored by the International Youth Fund (IYF) and Nokia as part of a post-tsunami skills development program held at the Foundation’s MCC Centre of Excellence, along with industrial sewing classes sponsored by Australia’s Help Sri Lanka Inc and the Rotary Club of Dandenong.

Graduation day gave the students an opportunity to show off their talents with a handicrafts display and bridal show judged by famous Sri Lankan actress Manik Kurukulasuriya. Students also received certificates to show that they have completed the six month course and are now well trained and ready for employment.

In an address to the event, Foundation of Goodness (FoG) Founder and trustee Kushil Gunasekera said that the training provided invaluable opportunities for local women to increase their skills and improve their prospects for financial independence – a particularly important step for the area which was badly affected by the tsunami.

‘It’s a proud day for us to see these young women take a step toward a brighter future,’ he said.‘They have been enthusiastic and dedicated students, and judging by the high quality of their work, they will go a long way in creating more opportunities for themselves.’
The handicrafts display included work from the 27 patchwork students, 52 sewing students, 12 industrial sewing students and 5 beeralu lace students who made a selection of work including handbags, bed linen, dresses, decorated saris, cushion covers and much more.

The bridal show was a particular highlight of the day, with the 28 beauty students spending more than five hours grooming girls into Kandian, Western and Indian style brides. Ms Kurukulasuriya, who has appeared in over 50 films, TV programs and stage shows as well as judging the ‘Miss Sri Lanka’ amongst other pageants, was well qualified to select the five top brides of the day.

For the Foundation of Goodness, the graduation day highlighted the success of the IYF/Nokia sponsored program, which has proved immensely popular with young women in the Seenigama region.

Through its Tsunami Reconstruction initiative, IYF/Nokia support the Women’s Enterprise Centre as well as Business Skills Workshops at the Foundation of Goodness.

The initiative was set up in 2005 to develop training and job creation programs for the youth in tsunami affected countries – Thailand, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka – and aims to provide more than 4,400 16 to 29 year olds with access to job and life skills training, apprenticeships, job placements, and micro-credit or small start-up loans

As part of this program, IYF/Nokia funds the courses at the MCC Centre of Excellence in Seenigama with the goal of annually assisting 360 tsunami affected youths gain employment and generate further job opportunities through training in business skills, life skills and technical skills.

With new classes starting soon, students in the new cooking and dessert-making preparing to graduate in October, and plans to sell goods made by graduates in FoG’s handicraft boutique and possibly via mail order, the initiative is well on its way to meeting its aim of 180 students next semester - and helping these young women fulfill their potential.