Asian International School and Elizabeth Moir School visit Seenigama

The Asian International School and Elizabeth Moir School both have close and long standing relationships with the Foundation of Goodness, the students working with us to learn important lessons about altruism and caring for others while also confronting the realities of many rural Sri Lankans who struggle with great hardship every day.

The students of Asian International School have been visiting the Foundation of Goodness every year for close to a decade and they always take the opportunity to interact with the villagers, spending  time with  the Children’s Goodness Club members, and at Elders’ and Children’s Homes to learn more about their lives.

This year we were delighted to welcome 38 students from the AIS Form 5 Geography Class along with 4 teachers who conducted their community outreach trip to Seenigama. First, the students arrived at the MCC Centre of Excellence where they toured the premises, learning about the first hand experiences of Founder Kushil Gunasekera and other staff members on the fateful day of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami which played a pivotal role in our journey to build a strong and well supported village in the wake of its devastation.

It is a good starting point for these young students to comprehend that a well-planned and orderly life can suddenly be upturned unexpectedly, and that rather than being discouraged by these setbacks, it is essential to draw on inner strength and determination to overcome even the greatest of impediments.

The students also had the opportunity to see our different programmes in action, and even attended the mini open air market that was being held by the little students of Lahiru Pre-school that day.

Afterwards the group travelled to the Wellawatta Elder’s Home where they spent time with the elderly, interacting, learning about their life stories and singing songs with them before ending their visit at the FoG Sports Academy where they learnt more about the various successful sportsmen to have emerged from the Centre before enjoying a dip in the pool followed by lunch and returning home in the early evening.

The second group to visit us in March was Elizabeth Moir School Form 3 Geography Class which included some members from the Good Values Initiative which was set up in partnership with the Foundation of Goodness to encourage students to have a greater focus on values and doing good.

Over the years the students of Elizabeth Moir School have been greatly moved by the plight of the rural students of Seenigama, organizing multiple fundraisers following which they once conducted a tie-dye workshop for the Children’s Goodness Club and donated Essential School Supply Packs on another occasion.

This month, 37 students as well as 3 teachers visited FoG, and first of all, they too visited the MCC Centre of Excellence to learn about its history and growth, incorporating what they learnt with a practical lesson in geography and sustainable development. They also visited the different classes and courses which were in session to see our various programmes in action.

The students had brought dry rations which they wanted to gift to the Wellawatte Elder’s Home, and during the visit they had a special sing-along with the residents to lift spirits and liven up their day.

We were absolutely delighted to host these students, and deeply commend the efforts by these schools to ensure that the children who live in central Colombo have the opportunity to travel outside their comfort zone to understand and experience firsthand how their fellow Sri Lankans from rural under-served communities struggle to have access to the very opportunities that they often take for granted.

Not only does it expand their horizons and give them a new perspective on life, it can also encourage them to truly appreciate the blessing they have received in life and work harder to make the most of it, whilst always being aware of others in need and reaching out a helping hand.

22nd March 2017