FoG in partnership with Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation and Nature’s Goodness

The Foundation of Goodness has been able to deliver a plethora of empowerment programs catered to the varied needs and skills of rural beneficiaries because we have always received strength from our sponsors and donors.

Our partnership with the Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation and Nature’s Goodness has played a key role in the success and development of many of our programs, which has directly impacted the lives of many rural impoverished villagers, whether they are struggling to make ends meet or searching for an opportunity to develop their lives and livelihoods.

The Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation and Nature’s Goodness have worked with us in a number of areas including nutrition and wellbeing, education and child development, vocational training, infrastructure development and self-defense training for women and children as well as the prevention of street harassment.

These donors have contributed towards nutritional programs for families experiencing financial difficulties who are unable to afford three square nutritious meals a day in the form of monthly grocery/ nutrition packs. The proactive nature of this partnership is such that the nutritional program has also lead to a number of other welfare projects for the recipients who are in clear need of extra help.

When selecting recipients for the monthly grocery rations, priority is given to those with mental or physical disabilities. One such recipient was Gaulin Nona, who lived in a semi-completed dilapidated home with her daughter and son-in-law who were both deaf, as well as her 98 year old ailing mother.

Upon seeing the state of her home in the background of the photos taken during the presentation of groceries and learning more about her, the Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation immediately committed towards completing the construction of her home so that her family could live comfortably without being battered by the elements.

This attribute of being ready to go that extra mile is what make these organization so special, and this is not the first time that they have sprung into action in this manner, having donated a bed, mattresses and mosquito netting to another poor family receiving grocery packs.

Ensuring the educational development of young children is also a priority for the Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation and Nature’s Goodness, and every year hundreds of children are sponsored by them via the FoG Essential School Supplies Program, delivering all school necessities from the school bag, uniform & shoes to the books & stationery needed for a whole year of studies. Over the course of the past 3 years, they have sponsored a total of 501 school packs to rural kids as well as a scholarship for one of our pre-school students followed by the gifting of toys and bicycles to the children attending FoG’s Lahiru Pre-School.

They are also passionate about the safety of women and youth and have been advocates for street harassment awareness workshops and women’s self-defense training, the driving force behind conducting forum theatre programs to build awareness towards the prevention of street harassment as well as encouraging a variety of martial arts and self-defense programs for women, youth and children.

Nature’s Goodness and the Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation have also sponsored the construction of two buildings to facilitate a variety of FoG classes and programs. One was a brand new building tailor made for the Electrical Installation & Maintenance course, standardized to conduct classes for the NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) examinations. They also constructed a building in Akurala for the Community Psychosocial Unit to conduct various programs including self-defense workshops.

These organisations have also made it possible for the members of the FoG Community Psychosocial Unit to complete a 1 year Diploma Course in Counseling Psychology at the Sri Lanka Mental Health Foundation. 3 members undertook the course in 2015 with three more currently pursuing the course this year.

As we continue to work with the Elizabeth & Nicholas Nainani Foundation and Nature’s Goodness to deliver more and more services to rural villagers, we look forward to making a real and lasting difference in the lives of many more underserved communities.

More information about Nature's Goodness can be found at: www.natural-goodness.com

14th September 2016