Invicta Grammar School UK visits the Foundation of Goodness

Students from Invicta Girls Grammar School spent an amazing time at the Foundation of Goodness adding value across so many different areas from teaching English to painting a local school and conducting training sessions at our Sports Academy.
Their experiences are best told in their own words on the Invicta Grammar School Blog

Day 1 - Our first visit to Seenigama School

After a long and tiring 11 hour journey, we finally arrived in Sri Lanka. The hotel did not disappoint with it’s amazing views and warming welcome. On our first visit to Seenigama School, we taught a 2 hour English lesson to two classes of children aged between 10 and 14. Their enthusiasm was contagious and they even wrote their own letters in reply to Year 2 students at Valley Invicta Leybourne Chase Primary school. After lunch, we then had a 3 hour netball session with the school’s netball team. We were surprised by their level of skill and let’s just say the matches were very competitive! We can’t wait for the days ahead and all the memories we will make!

Written by Caitlin Robson and Katie Moss

Day 3 - Sri Lanka

Today in Sri lanka we went back to the Foundation of Goodness where we painted one of their walls grey - some of us ended up with more point on ourselves than on the wall! It was a much more enjoyable experience than we originally thought it was going to be. In the afternoon, we played Rounders, Captute the Flag and other fun games with the local school children. Some of us were taught numbers, colours and even body parts by the Sri Lankan children as well which was very interesting!

Day 4 - Sri Lanka

In the morning we went to a historic town called Galle. We walked around the Fort and saw some amazing sights! For lunch we went to Pizza Hut, which was nice and it provided us with a home comfort. In the afternoon, we went back to the Foundation of Goodness and did a mixture of athletics drills and playground games.

Day 5 - Sri Lanka

hat an emotional day! We started our day with a visit to another project the Foundation of Goodness have been working on since the tsunami. It was a real eye-opener to to see and hear about the extent of the damage which the 2004 tsunami caused - the water levels were over 12ft in the village we have been staying in when the waves hit. Through the dedicated and committed work of the Foundation of Goodness, it is truly amazing to see so much good arise from such an awful situation.

After visiting the project, we returned to the club house for a yoga session. Although funny at times, we all left feeling very relaxed and bendy!

The afternoon consisted of our last teaching session at the Foundation. After a few games of rounders with the older children, we then witnessed a special music and dance performance by some of the local villagers. The founder of the Foundation of Goodness (who had travelled for over 3 hours just to come and speak to us!) then made a very moving and emotional speech, thanking us for all our hard work over the last five days. We were all in tears - including him! The stories and experiences he shared with us were both heart-breaking and inspirational. We were then each presented with a framed photo collage, containing photos of us and the local children taken across the week, along with a volunteering certificate and a Foundation of Goodness wristband. We were also given a commemorating plaque, which we will of course display proudly at school.

After an emotional farewell, it was time to head back to the hotel to pack for our onward journey to Kandy. I think it is clear to say that, through our time with the Foundation of Goodness, we have all made memories and friendships that we hope will last a lifetime.

Written by Miss Palmer

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9th November 2018