Our Major Projects
The Foundation of Goodness (FoG) is committed to the wellbeing of the Seenigama region and supports local communities through a range of projects across areas including children’s needs, education and training, healthcare and psycho-social support, housing, livelihoods, sport and the environment.
Donors and volunteers from across the globe support FoG in carrying out countless activities to uplift the lives of rural residents, many of whom suffered devastating losses in the 2004 tsunami.
The majority of these activities are co-ordinated at the MCC Centre of Excellence, a central hub developed on the grounds of Founder Kushil Gunasekera ’s ancestral villa in Seenigama. FoG also has an office in Colombo.
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MCC Centre of Excellence
The Foundation of Goodness (FOG), in partnership with the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), has developed a Centre of Excellence in Seenigama, a landmark educational and wellness facility to provide village youth with the opportunity to make the best of their own future through education, sport and health, catering to over 25 villages in the region of Seenigama.
The MCC Centre of Excellence opened on 15th December 2007 as the centre point for many of FoG’s empowerment projects. It comprises of a medical centre, women’s enterprise division, environment project management office, business skills development centre, modern computer lab, pre-school, handicraft boutique, the Re-building Lives Programme, English training school, MCC gallery, tsunami gallery, administration office and accommodation for volunteers, donors and trainers.
With the support of sustainable funding and affiliated educational professional bodies, the MCC Centre of Excellence aims to help more than 500 students per year complete a workshop or short course, free of charge. It also provides free medical support to upwards of 1500 people per month, including general medical assessments, medicine dispensing and psycho-social support.
Background
The MCC Centre of Excellence is located in the heart of Seenigama on a property inherited by FoG’s Founder and Trustee Kushil Gunasekera. For six years prior to the tsunami, the ‘Lahiru’ villa provided both a holiday respite and a village experience for visitors, who were often inspired to assist the disadvantaged villagers.
The tsunami devastated the villa’s contents, but left the walls standing and it was quickly turned into a relief coordinating secretariat and village activity centre. From this centre, thousands of villages were assisted to rebuild their lives.
Kushil decided that it would be a great idea to convert the former villa into a Higher Learning Institute for the good of the village children and youth, and so made the decision to donate the property for this cause, launching a campaign to secure donors to assist with making this goal a reality.
Centre of Excellence – sponsored by the Marylebone Cricket Club, Lords, UK
• Computer / IT Training Facility – co-sponsored by Ranjan De Costa
• English Language School – co-sponsored by Miloš Stanković MBE
• Women’s Enterprise Division (handicraft and sewing projects) – co-sponsored by International Youth Foundation, USA and Help Sri Lanka, Melbourne, Australia
• Business Leadership Studies– co-sponsored by International Youth Foundation
• Office Block
• Public toilets
Medical Centre - sponsored by Marylebone Cricket Club & Co-sponsored by VU Medisch Centrum, The Netherlands
• General medical & consulting specialists – co-sponsored VU Medisch Centrum, The Netherlands
• Dental Clinic – co-sponsored by AVIVA
• Rebuilding Lives mental health project – sponsored by UNICEF & Direct Relief International, USA
• Paediatric clinic – co-sponsored by Sri Lankan Tsunami Children’s Appeal, Townsville, Australia
• Pharmacy – co-sponsored by Direct Relief International, USA
Pre-school - sponsored by Stafford International School, Colombo, Sri lanka
Lahiru accommodation for trainers, volunteers and donors – sponsored by Marylebone Cricket Club, co-sponsored by Highgate School, UK.
Read more:
Marylebone Cricket Club’s development unfold from Seenigama to Hikkaduwa
Historical Background
The property “Lahiru” which means the “light rays of the sun” originated from the ancestors of the Gunasekera family which was inherited by the Founder/ Trustee of Foundation of Goodness Mr Kushil Gunasekera from his beloved parents Mr & Mrs Shelton & Marlene Gunasekera.
The “Lahiru” modern villa was developed in 1999 as a unique Holiday Home with the novel concept of addressing the priority concerns of the Seenigama villagers and the rural communities in the region by way of attracting visitors to this property through which kindness multiplied in alleviating the numerous hardships of the village people.
Like all things the change occurred on that fateful day 26/12/2004 with the Tsunami waves and the once lovely villa was all in a disarray with lots of debris in just a few minutes but withstood the Tsunami onslaught which enabled its conversion to an immediate Relief Co-ordinating Secretariat and an Activity Centre for the villages in the region, serving even a better cause to re-build the lives of those who had lost everything they possessed.
The waves of compassion that followed overpowered the waves of destruction resulting in this once fully equipped modern villa being gifted to establish a Centre of Excellence with the generous spirit and exceptional kindness of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the UK empowering better opportunities to the rural community children and youth.
This is now a landmark institute of learning and wellness for villagers catering to hundreds of rural community children and youth in particular who can now aspire to display their talent and skill to the fullest potential by the grand gesture of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to completely fund such a noble worthy cause making a positive difference for greater benefit of the less privileged communities in the Seenigama region.
‘Greatness is not found in Possessions, Power or Positions; it is discovered in Goodness, Humility & Service to fellow men’
MCC CoE Sectors
- Computer and IT Training Centre:
The FOG had identified 7 years prior to the tsunami that without computer training, the future would not look bright for any of the smart community members and youngsters in the rural villages and as such, it was our vision to commence computer training for the community members, children and youth who had hardly seen computers so to speak in the Seenigama region. Besides setting up our own centre, we were providing the schools with a few computers to create awareness and make them understand the importance of computer literacy.
The Foundation has been able to offer training in an advanced design and development programme, through courses focusing on internet, email, web background, DreamWeaver and Fireworks, HTML, Adobe Photoshop, and CorelDraw which is a rare opportunity for students in these communities.
Read more:
IT learning takes a new curve at the MCC Centre of Excellence
High tech computers donated to Centre of Excellence
Such a facility is not one that is readily available to a village community. Therefore in introducing a whole new concept of learning, we decided to open a library which also provides access to remote schools in the Seenigama region. The impact of the libraries spread widely on a much larger scale, particularly after the tsunami with the world wide support for such worthy projects. We have seen children access books and cultivate the habit of reading which is great to witness.
This was our first project since the standards of English in the remote sector, especially the schools, were so weak that the children and youth could not communicate in English. This sadly excluded them from gaining fruitful employment in the capital city of Colombo which conducts most of the businesses in English. The disparity between the educational opportunities of the affluent in the city as opposed to those in the rural sector was such that the youth from backward communities were not getting their rightful positions of employment, despite their enormous talent, due to their lack of good English speaking, reading, and writing skills. This is the reason why the Foundation of Goodness has now expanded the teaching of English in the remote areas, hoping that we could do more to make these youngsters better equipped in this language for greater professional and personal prospects.
Read more:
English classes light the path to success at the MCC Centre of Excellence
The Women’s Enterprise Programs offer training in areas such as sewing, patchwork, beralu lace making, beauty culture, industrial sewing machine training and cookery classes which provides the women in our communities an opportunity to expand their skills and abilities, as well as access to job and life skills training, job placements, apprenticeships and small start-up loans in the future.
We have tried to bring about a change by identifying promising women and having them follow 6 different courses with the aim of helping them to become self-employed. Presently, we are training around 275 women from 21 villages. We believe these smart women, being the nerve centre of their families, can play a major role in providing sustenance and creating more positive futures for their children and the community.
Classes are conducted free of charge on a daily basis. Each day, the women attend a different training session. Guest lecturers from various parts of Sri Lanka and other countries have visited the Women’s Enterprise Centre to share their skills and expertise with the women, which has encouraged them greatly and built their confidence to explore and experiment with their own talents.
Read more:
IYF visits youth training program at Foundation
The Foundation provides many different facilities such as essential school supplies to less privileged children (11,000+ total school supply packages have been provided to date), scholarships for education, sponsorship for sports and monthly grants to university students. The Foundation also supports the schools in the region in elevating their standards.
Read more:
Sponsor a medical student and contribute to Sri Lanka’s wellbeing
- Business Skills Development Centre:
The Business Skills workshops are divided into 2 categories – ‘Start Your Business’ which is a workshop that assists those individuals who want to pursue a business idea on their own and ‘Improve Your Business’ which assists them in developing their own current business ideas. Courses which are offered in the area of Business Skills include: Business Management, Human Resources Management, Sales and Marketing, Accounting and Finance.
This centre has attracted much attention in the village community. The community members have shown great enthusiasm for the business skills classes since the introduction of such programmes is new to the lifestyle of disadvantaged communities and presents possibilities that were never before thought possible.
Read more:
IYF visits youth training program at Foundation
- Medical Centre (The Rainbow Clinic):
The doors of the Rainbow Clinic medical centre first opened on February 16th 2005. The response was overwhelming. The immediate goal was to provide the children of Seenigama and its surrounding villages with Paediatric medical services. It now caters to children and adults from over 20 villages in the Seenigama region.
The medical centre, sponsored by Marylebone Cricket Club & Co-sponsored by VU Medisch Centrum, The Netherlands, provides free 'medical services to the villagers of the Seenigama region. The clinic is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9.00am to 4.00pm. The Medical Centre provides free medical support to upwards of 1,400 people per month, including general medical assessments, medicine dispensing and psycho-social support. Its services include general medical and consulting specialists, dental clinic, paediatric clinic, maternity clinic, pharmacy, medical laboratory and rebuilding lives programme (mental health, counseling).
Special paediatric clinic and maternity health clinics are also held four times a month. The maternity clinic covers issues such as monitoring pregnancy, mother and child health, and birth control. Women may also attend clinics looking for advice on falling pregnant, and simple G.U. infections.
Since the inception of the Rainbow Clinic, the Foundation has been fortunate to have received specialist medical assistance from a range of doctors and nurses around the world. To view their stories, please
click here.
Medical Centre - sponsored by General medical & consulting specialists – co-sponsored VU Medisch Centrum, The Netherlands
• Dental Clinic – co-sponsored by AVIVA
• Rebuilding Lives Project (psycho-social support) – sponsored by UNICEF & Direct Relief International, USA
• Paediatric clinic – co-sponsored by Sri Lankan Tsunami Children’s Appeal, Townsville, Australia
• Pharmacy – co-sponsored by Direct Relief International, USA
Updates for January 2008
- 1824 patients were treated from almost 20 villages in the Seenigama region.
- 244 patients were treated at the dental clinic.
- Over 400 tests conducted at the medi-lab at the clinic.
- A Specialist Paediatric Clinic and Medical Clinic was held where local and international doctors visited the village.
Monthly Health Updates
The AVIVA Dental Clinic opened on the 16th of October, giving priority to now dental care (free of cost) which is also another important aspect of health care. The clinic hours are from 9am to 4pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The usual attendance is approximately 20 patients per day, catering to over 20 villages in and around Seenigama.
Read more:
Australian Doctors visit Seenigama for special free medical camps
AVIVA dental clinic ready to open up and say ‘ah’
Lahiru Pre-school is sponsored by Stafford International School, Colombo, Sri Lanka and it is the first time that a pre-school of this stature has been established in a village following the guidelines of a school in Colombo, with English as the focus from this tender age. Given the way in which it is managed, the pre-school is hugely in demand. We could only accommodate 55 students per year at this time. However, this serves as the model in the region, within the MCC Centre of Excellence, and we hope to continue to expand these opportunities to other children in the near future.
Read more:
Pre-school takes to the stage in their annual concert
This is an area that has been badly neglected and the Foundation, realizing the importance of protecting the environment for future generations, is blessed with a team that is driving many environmental sustainability projects in the region which have been widely received with appreciation.
Read more:
Volunteer's green thumbs help FoG environment projects get growing
- Children’s Goodness Clubs:
The Children’s Goodness Club is a new concept that we introduced to inculcate goodness amongst children by promoting the art of doing good and wholesome action. Commencing from a young age, children participate in different activities which promote harmony, loving kindness, non-harm tolerance, forgiveness, patience, respecting elders, discipline, humility and good attitudes.
We have now three such Children’s Goodness Clubs spread out in 3 villages, which are working very well. The clubs have been received with so much enthusiasm that the children themselves talk about doing many kind deeds which promote all of these positive qualities for the good of mankind.
Read more:
Seenigama kids celebrate Poya with flowers and fun
- Volunteer Expertise Programs and Volunteer Accommodation Cottage:
With the help of the tsunami funding and gifting of the property that belong to the Founder/Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness, we have been able to create accommodation facilities for donors, volunteers and trainers to stay in the village and assist with our ongoing numerous programmes that are enhanced by the expertise these volunteers impart.
It is the same at our Sports Academy where we can host 24 in hostel style living and also at the Village Heart Beat Centre which comprises of a fully equipped cottage to be used by local and international volunteers.
Lahiru accommodation centre for trainers, volunteers and donors is kindly sponsored by Marylebone Cricket Club and co-sponsored by Highgate School, UK.
Read more:
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Sports Academy
For the very first time, with the waves of compassion of donors and volunteers, the Foundation was able to develop, just like the Centre of Excellence and the Village Heartbeat Project, another very important skills development institution by way of a modern sports complex, never before seen in a rural village. The Sports Academy has brought better opportunities and the facilities for children and youth to excel in their special areas of talent through training in the sporting activities of their preference.
The Sports Academy includes a world class cricket pitch called The Seenigama Oval (sponsored by the Surrey County Cricket Club-UK), the 25 metre 6 lane swimming pool (donated by Mr Bryan Adams), a kiddies pool and playground, club house and an accommodation centre. An indoor sports centre with volleyball, netball and badminton courts, indoor cricket nets, a gymnasium will be underway soon.
We have developed Volunteer Accommodation Centres at the Sports Academy where we can host 24 in hostel style living.
Read more:
FoG opens first class sports facilities in Seenigama
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Village Heart Beat Project
Foundation of Goodness has built the model Village Heartbeat Centre in the village of Udumulla, known as the ‘Village Heartbeat Project’. The goal of the centre is to address the key areas of needs for rural community members, children and youth such as learning English, computer training, gaining knowledge through a library, women’s enterprise, youth development, children’s goodness clubs, a volunteer cottage for local and overseas volunteers who are willing to share their expertise and help develop the village.
This project also caters to a few villages in and around Udumulla, Hikkaduwa, where this centre is located. The centre provides empowerment through education and the facilities to help community members make better progress in their lives. Owing to their poverty, the members of these communities would otherwise be deprived of such betterment opportunities.
This concept has been working exceedingly well and the idea is to replicate the model in other disadvantaged villages to harness the talent and skills of the children, youth, and village community members.
Read more:
Heart of a village gets a kick start with new community activity centre
