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 upto 1500+ people per month, including general medical assessments, medicine dispensing and psycho-social support.
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
