A New Village Heartbeat in Rathgama

The ‘Village Heartbeat’ community development concept has been implemented as a pilot project by the Foundation of Goodness in Udumulla , a small village near Seenigama. The Centre was opened in 2007 and is designed to provide educational and cultural opportunities for the villagers, particularly for children and youth who face major disadvantages due to lack of resources in rural areas such as theirs. Over 800 children, youth and women benefit from courses run at this centre, coming from 10 villages in the area

The Foundation of Goodness proposes to replicate the Village Heartbeat Model in the nearby village of Rathgama.
Rathgama is a post-tsunami new village for affected families, inland from the coastal resort town of Hikkaduwa. A community centre was built by previous donors, but has not been managed and has fallen into disrepair. The Foundation of Goodness was approached to take over the management of the centre, and convert it into a new Village Heartbeat.

Help Sri Lanka, based in Melbourne, Australia, came forward to fund this project. Architect Kim Wright provided the design for the centre, expanding on existing buildings to create a unique concept including volunteer accommodation, classrooms and outdoor play areas for the use of the whole community.

Renovation works are now underway, and construction is expected to be completed in July 2010.
The Centre will provide youth & women’s empowerment programs, children & youth skills development work, organized children’s activities through a children’s goodness club, a small children’s playground and programs for environment improvement. A library, a computer training centre (equipped with desks and ten computers) and a classroom to facilitate English language lessons and women’s sewing and cookery courses will form the core of the Village Heartbeat.
Programmes will be taught by qualified teachers and will be open to all who wish to attend, from Rathgama and its surrounding areas. The centre will provide a venue for village societies and public meetings.

English language proficiency has been identified as one of the necessities to gain fruitful employment in the working capital Colombo. Many from rural areas, despite their enormous potential, are denied opportunities in the city as English language taught in rural schools does not meet the level required by employers in Colombo. It is hoped that this will be overcome through the centre’s English classes, which supplement the schools’ curricula.

Computer & IT training facility with Internet access - with the increasing importance of computer literacy, training will be offered for the community members in this rural area where previously there might not have been access to such facilities. The children and adults who attend these classes will have an opportunity to gain a formal qualification. There has been great enthusiasm shown for the computer classes in the pilot project in Udumulla.

“Reading maketh a full man” said Francis Bacon, the English essayist, philosopher and statesman - what better way to achieve this than through a community centre library, especially when membership is free. This facility will be stocked with English and Sinhala books, journals and the daily newspapers.

The Women’s Empowerment Programme will provide sewing training and will conduct cookery classes which would help women to build confidence, expand their skills and above all it would play a major role in providing sustenance and creating more positive futures for their children and the community.

Teamwork and tolerance are qualities that make up a good and just society. This is part of what children would learn through the Children’s Goodness Club which is designed to promote the art of good citizenship. They could be actively involved in projects such as cleaning up campaigns and community poster/art exhibitions. In a community, children can make a difference.

The Village Heartbeat is a symbol of hope. Following the success of the inaugural Village Heartbeat Project in Udumulla, the Foundation of Goodness would like to join hands with the Rathgama community to bring this program to fruition.

Please access the following link to get an overview of the activities of our pilot project in Udumulla http://www.unconditionalcompassion.org/m-sectors_vhp.php

Kushil, Founder/ Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness, has a vision for every village in Sri Lanka to have access to the facilities and services provided by projects such as the Village Heartbeat Model. “To unleash the full potential of this country, the rural children and youth must be empowered. There is so much talent in the villages, but the gap between urban and rural is growing at a rapid pace. We hope to bridge this gap through the work of the Foundation of Goodness, in partnership with donors such as Help Sri Lanka and others around the world, for a bright and prosperous future for all.”

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

2010.06.21