OYOB Tuk Tuk Ride from Jaffna to Seenigama

The OYOB (Own Your Own Block) Tuk Tuk Ride took place between 27th July and 4th August during which time 11 riders in 10 tuk-tuks drove from Jaffna to Seenigama accompanied by their friends and family, in a group of 23 intrepid adventurers from Australia.

Along the route which ran from Jaffna through Anuradhapura, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Arugam Bay, Moneragala and Tangalle to Galle, the team made pit stops at FoG’s Kilinochchi Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre and Moneragala Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre before the ride concluded at our flagship model, the MCC Centre of Excellence and Sports Academy in Seenigama. This incredible undertaking has raised funds for three years of sustainability costs for the Moneragala VHE Centre which is sponsored by the OYOB Property Group.

The group are embracing a rising trend in community aid tourism where the participants have the opportunity to experience a new country by becoming a part of the communities that they pass through, in a truly immersive experience that leaves behind a legacy.

While doing good and getting to know the locals, the travelers also visited a number of iconic landmarks along the way including hiking up the Sigiriya Rock Fortress which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its beautiful frescos, enjoyed the beautiful seascapes along the Eastern and Southern coastlines of Sri Lanka and even came to a standstill mid-ride to take in the majesty of wild elephants grazing along the route.

Their first pit-stop of the journey was at the Kilinochchi Village Heartbeat Empowerment (VHE) Centre in Kilinochchi en-route from Jaffna to Anuradhapura where the group had the chance to meet the amazing staff at from our Northern Centres and speak to many of the beneficiaries, especially those attending vocational training programmes at the Centre.

The second stop was at the Moneragala VH Centre which was a cause for celebration as this was the selfsame Centre that would be sustained for the next three years by the funds raised by the ride. Once again, after a hearty welcome the riders had the opportunity to meet our beneficiaries including a group of inspired youngsters who were keep robotics enthusiasts.

The ride concluded at the FoG Flagship model- the MCC Centre of Excellence and Sports academy in Seenigama where the team were joined by Peter Baines of Hand Across Water, who conducted a brainstorming session with FoG Founder Kushil Gunasekera on sustainable income generation opportunities for the Foundation of Goodness. After tourin  the facilities the riders and their families broke off in to two groups with some chosing to play cricket at the Sports Academy while others headed to the MCC Centre of Excellence to volunteer, conducting English conversation sessions with 20 students. Aynkaran Sivaratnam also took the opportunity to conduct a personal growth seiminar for students form the Women’s Enterprise & Empowerment Centre while LinkedIn Expert Bonnie Powers conducted a workshop for FoG Senior Staff.

This event would not have been possible if not for OYOB Property Group and the passion and hardwork of Aynkaran Sivaratnam who organised the ride in partnership with the Foundation of Goodness along with the support of his brother Dhilharan.

A big thank you goes out to all our sponsors whose contribution will help sustain the Moneragala VHE Centre for 3 years. Platinum Sponsors; NJ Lawyers, Fern financials, SNAP, Paradigm Financials and Strata PNA. Gold Sponsors; Buckets of Money, Venture Advisory, Perfect Boom, MA Legal, TASC Consulting, Australian Groceries Direct and Oceania Private Wealth. Silver Sponsors; Parks Property, U Homes, Beanstalk Investment Management, Galanis Financial Group, Plan to Prosper and Adept Accounting and Taxation, not forgetting our invaluable service partner David Peiris Motor Company  (Pvt) Ltd.

The Foundation of Goodness Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres are designed to empower rural disadvantaged villagers, especially through English and IT which are essential to reduce the levels of poverty. Other programmes also include life skills & values, educational subjects, vocational training and sports to help them make better progress in overcoming the disparity between the urban and rural communities.

10th August 2018