University of Hong Kong Rotaract Club Visit.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi

The Rotaract Club of the University of Hong Kong visited us last month for an amazing week of volunteerism. The Rotaractors were invited to Sri Lanka by the Rotaract Club of Colombo Uptown and had selected the Foundation of Goodness as their charity of choice for volunteerism.

The volunteers participated in a number of activities run by the Foundation. The Rotaractors joined our regular beach clean-up in Seenigama, which was a new experience for the youth as they got the opportunity to appreciate the hard work that goes into keeping tourist spots eco-friendly and in top order.

The next day the University students had a very special experience. They helped out at a Sea Turtle sanctuary, assisting in the cleaning of the tanks and observing the hatchlings as they acclimatise themselves to their new world.

Aged between 18 and 25, the volunteers spent an evening at a local orphanage, using art therapy and sports to interact with the students. They overcame the language barrier with smiles and song and everyone had an amazing time.

The Rotaractors explored the South of Sri Lanka with an exhilarating river safari and got to explore a tea factory as well! Rounding off this one of a kind trip was a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Galle Fort.

Their discussion with FoG’s Founder and Chief Trustee Kushil Gunasekera and the tour of the FoG MCC Centre of Excellence was a great way to get to know the myriad of work done by the Foundation of Goodness.

Beginning from that fateful Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, volunteerism has been a significant corner stone in the Foundation’s work. We saw the lifesaving power of the kindness we show each other and we work hard to continue this tradition of volunteerism through FoG.

Each year we see a steady growth in the number of volunteers who join us in our work, from around the world. Annually over 100 volunteers spend time with FoG, lending their expertise to a variety of sectors ranging from medical, sports, arts, diving, education and so much more. Volunteers from the United Stated, UK, Australia and many other countries have passed through our gates in the past 20 years, enriching our lives and theirs.

A group of volunteers, spontaneously initiated a fund-raiser to gift a pair of hearing aids to a young FoG sportsman with a hearing disability who later went on to captain the winning Sri Lanka Deaf Team at the ICC Deaf T20 World Cup in 2018. The Harrow School, UK built a library for our young students in Seenigama and the OxAdventure Group repainted and restocked the study space at a local orphanage, transforming it into a colourful, imaginative ‘creative space’ full of hope and joy.
These are only some of the stories of the wonderful impact that our FoG volunteers have left in the community. As Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”

12th February 2019