Across Sri Lanka, stray animals, particularly dogs and cats, roam our streets, often undernourished, injured, or simply neglected. While some may be seen as a nuisance, the Foundation of Goodness believes in looking at them with compassion, understanding that these sentient beings, too, deserve care, dignity and love.
At the OYOB Centre of Excellence in Seenigama and several Village Heartbeat Empowerment (VHE) Centres across the island, our Stray Friendly Initiative offers a quiet but powerful example of kindness in action. Every day, our teams and volunteers ensure that stray animals in the surrounding areas are fed, watched over and when possible, given access to basic care. This improves the lives of these animals and instils in our communities, especially among children, a deep sense of empathy and responsibility.
Many of these centres are located in rural areas where strays are often overlooked or, in some cases, mistreated. It’s not uncommon for animals to be pelted with stones, chased away, or even poisoned. Part of our mission is to shift this mindset, beginning with the youngest members of the community. By involving children in the feeding programme and teaching them about animal welfare, we help nurture a generation that values all life, regardless of species.
The initiative has been made possible thanks to the generosity of kind-hearted donors who love animals and wish to see them treated with care. Monthly contributions go towards providing meals and in some cases, basic veterinary assistance.
But the impact goes beyond the animals. It changes hearts, it softens attitudes and it reminds us all that kindness costs nothing, yet means everything.
As this initiative grows, we continue to seek compassionate individuals who can support this effort, whether through donations, volunteer work or simply by raising awareness about the need to treat stray animals with humanity.
Because in a world where we can be anything, let us choose to be kind, even to those without a voice.
