GUIDING OUR CHILDREN TOWARDS GOODNESS
 Showcasing Goodness at the Seenigama Pageant
As the warm rays of the setting sun light up the KPMG LOLC village with a soft glow in the early evening a small group of children freshly washed and dressed, bearing flowers, incense and oil lamps make their way to the Buddha Shrine in the village. As one they pay homage to the serene white statue of the Buddha and in raised voices chant the stanzas that have come down through the ages for over 2500 years but whose meanings and messages still hold true today .
These are the children of the Goodness Children's Club of Werellana, one of the two Goodness Children's Clubs that are run through the Foundation of Goodness, the other being the Goodness Children's Club of Seenigama.
The immediate aftermath of the tsunami brought out all that is essentially good in human nature. People showed kindness, compassion and caring. They opened their homes to strangers, helped their neighbours, shared whatever they had and worked as one to rebuild each others lives and the village of Seenigama. The tsunami also brought out those human characteristics that we are not proud of. Rivalry, jealousy, anger, hatred and greed; in some cases leading to flared tempers and exchanged blows as people began to grapple with and come to terms with their loss. As much as we praise and highlight the positive characteristics of human nature we cannot ignore the existence of the negative characteristics. How these negative characteristics are dealt with most often depends on the background and upbringing of the person. That is, how what is good and bad and what is right and wrong has been taught at an early age as it is only a few people who at a later age have the courage and strength to change and improve themselves.
It is with this idea in mind that the two Goodness Children's Clubs were formed. To guide children towards goodness. To teach children at an early age that what matters is kindness, compassion, caring, understanding, forgiveness, helping others and so on. That at the end it is not how clever they have been, how much money they have made or how powerful they have become that matters but how they have lived their lives. Whether even one other person's life is at least a little bit better today because of them.
 Branding on the Rear of their T-shirts
Since their inception both clubs have flourished. Dressed in their Goodness Club t-shirts the children meet weekly and start by reciting a pledge to become good human beings. They then hold a minute's silence for all those who were lost in the tsunami. After this, the previous meeting's minutes are read, they recount the good deeds they have done over week and then plan their next activity whether it be a religious ceremony, an environmental clean up campaign, a training programme, a group trip or even an evening of fun and games; as children will be children. Most importantly though these activities are to inculcate the spirit of goodness in their daily activities.
Thus far the clubs have an impressive record of activities. They have held an environmental clean up campaign to clean up the AVIVA village, they helped with an all night religious ceremony and gifting of food and alms to Buddhist monks by cleaning out the community centre, they held a religious ceremony to invoke blessings on soldiers who died in action sacrificing their lives to protect the lives of others, held a festival of light on behalf of the community, held a themed art competition for Asela Poya, held a Dhamma Sermon for the community,held a talent show and hand work exhibition for World Children's Day and also participated in a workshop for the same, participated in the Seenigama Pageant showcasing the values of goodness, in recognition of a birthday as a wholesome deed released a cow and calf that were due to be slaughtered and went on a trip to the planetarium and museum. On each Poya day they observe a day of reflection by way of meditation with the aim of cleansing their minds just as everything else that has to be cleaned from time to time, they weekly attend computer classes organized for them through the Foundation and they continue to record the activities of goodness done on a daily basis such as helping their friends and family, teachers and neighbours, total strangers and showing kindness and compassion to all living things.
 A Festival of Lights
 Environmental Clean Up Campaign
Working and playing together these children are learning about team work, to show compassion to those around them, the need to work together to improve their communities, how to look out for each other and help those less fortunate, and to show gratitude to those who have helped them. They are also learning about discipline, good attitude, to acknowledge each others abilities, to accept all irrespective of who they may be or where they may have come from, to control their words and actions and to mold their behaviour in such away that one day society, the most hardest of critics, will judge them as outstanding people. And the Foundation of Goodness can be proud of having directed even a few of them towards goodness which is common to all religions.
 Releasing a Cow and Calf for a Special Birthday
 Talent show for World Children's Day
It is true that our future lies in the hands of our children. However, what our children make of the future depends on the qualities that we instill in them today. The children of the Seenigama and Werellana Goodness Children's Clubs have in a short space of time shown that, through the guidance they are getting from the Foundation of Goodness, they will be true beacons of hope for the future spreading kindness, compassion and goodness as they progress through life, enriching both their own and others' lives.
 Sharing Biscuits During a Meeting
-The amount of money in your bank account is not the true measure of your success. If you are honest, fair, tolerant, kindly,charitable to others and well behaved, you are a success no matter how small your bank account-
|
