2021 Highlights: An year of challenges and opportunity

2021 was an extraordinary year of challenged and more opportunities to reach out to those in urgent need of support!

January 2021

Flood Aid 

The inclement weather caused by the Cyclone Burevi affected thousands of Sri Lankans, mostly from rural areas in the Northern and Eastern region of Sri Lanka, who were already struggling to survive due to COVID-19 hardship. The incessant rainfall persisted even after the Cyclone had moved away, destroying many livelihoods, homes and families. 

Our appeal for help towards these disadvantaged communities was graciously answered by the International Medical Health Organisation (USA).  Thanks to their kind support, we were able to provide 225 families from rural areas in the North and East of Sri Lanka with essential grocery supplies and a much requested mosquito net. 

The distributions took place in accordance with health guidelines in Sittandy, Murukandy, Mathagal, Aalady-Uduvil and Kodikamam, with some of the items home delivered due to families being under home quarantine.

Essential School Supplies 2021 Programme

After months of hard work and an overwhelming response from our donors all around the world, the Essential School Supplies Programme for 2021 concluded with the delivery of 4,361 essential school bags to rural school children across Sri Lanka. Despite lockdowns and strict health regulations, we were able to distribute these bags islandwide and bring to rural students. 

February 2021

Tokyo Cement Group Beds Donation to the Sujatha Home

The Foundation of Goodness first began supporting the Sujatha Special Needs Home in Kalutara in September of 2020, when we were made aware of their struggles in meeting the needs of their special needs residents . They now receive support by way of additional caregivers, the sponsorship of meals, medicine, utilities and much more.

Tokyo Cement Group magnanimously donated 30 beds along with 30 mattresses, 20 pillows, 20 pillow cases, 30 bed sheets and 2 towel racks to this home that cares for 83 special needs residents between the ages of 4 and 92. All the beds were delivered and assembled in the newly painted rooms, brightening their entire living environment.

Peanut Farming with War Widows in Ampara

After many months of hard work, a peanut cultivation, tirelessly looked after by the 20 war widows, was harvested under the guidance of the coordinator of our Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre in Ampara.

The bountiful harvest was reaped with these ladies cultivating 250 Kg of peanuts. In addition to peanuts, a small corn crop was also grown alongside it Women in rural areas of Sri Lanka still face many barriers in making a living. It is unique initiatives such as these that truly empower women and make a difference.

11th Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre

The 11th Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre was opened in Puthiyanagar, Mullaitivu District, in the North Province of Sri Lanka. This Centre also marks the 4th Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre established in the North.

The Centre, which had an initial registration of  144 beneficiaries, will offer free courses in Pre-School Education, Primary Education Classes, Computer Training, English Language, Sinhala Language, Dressmaking Course, STEM activities, Planetary Health Education Course, Sports Training: Volleyball, Children’s Good Values Initiative and the Goodness Agriculture Initiative. 

The centre was first identified by FoG and selected by the Association of Professional Sri Lankans UK for development by providing solar panels, a three-phase electricity system and Net Plus connection to the National Grid as an additional income source for the sustainable development of the village community.

A huge thank you to Dr. Kushwin Rajamani for sponsoring the building renovation and provision of equipment in getting the Centre beautiful and ready to begin our programmes.

Our heartfelt gratitude also goes out to Prath and Thilagawathy Balasubramaniam from Australia for stepping up as the sustainability sponsors of the Centre to ensure that we can deliver all these classes free of cost to our beneficiaries.

March 2021

International Women’s Day

Since inception, our Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres across the country have empowered more that 12,245 young girls and women, while our Women’s Empowerment Courses have benefitted more than 5,268 girls and women. We are also extremely proud of the 2,000+ young girls who have participated in our Sports courses, with some even going on to represent Sri Lanka at the international level! Our Dive for Good dive training centre has empowered three young ladies who were determined to complete our training and become professional divers.

All our Centres across Sri Lanka marked this special day under the 2021 Women’s Day theme of #choosetochallenge; a timely and inspirational theme for many, who face challenges based on predetermined, stereotypical and undermining opinions and social norms everyday.

The Centre of Excellence in Seenigama held a special day of workshops for 48 ladies from our Women’s Empowerment Centre and the IT Centre. The workshops revolved around the themes of Digital Literacy and Cyber Security, and were conducted virtually by Microsoft. In addition to this, the staff of the Centre of Excellence also painted a wall of the Seenigama Railway Station celebrating women and equality, with the intention of stopping the verbal harassment of women at the station.

Graduation Ceremony 2021

The 2020 graduating batch is exceptional in their determination to succeed despite the many challenges brought on by COVID-19. 106 beneficiaries from the women’s empowerment centre graduated from courses such as, Pastry & Bakery, Curtain Making, General Cookey, Dressmaking, Advanced Dressmaking, Food Processing, Saree Work, Beauty Culture and Soft Toy Making. In addition to the graduating ceremony, the beneficiaries of the Women’s Empowerment Centre held a mini-market and the annual bridal show, showcasing their new skills and talent.

32 students graduated from the MS Office and Graphic Design Course, while 54 students successfully completed courses in Tamil, Public Speaking, Electrical Installations & Maintenance and Photography. Moreover, we have 7 new professional divers, who completed our Dive training course at the Dive For Good Centre. We hope these new skills learnt open many doors of better opportunities that lead to happiness and prosperity.

We wish all our 199 graduates the very best of luck for their future endeavours!

OYOB Centre of Excellence

The exclusive sponsorship of our Flagship Venue, the Centre of Excellence in Seenigama, was undertaken by the OYOB Property Group! A plaque was unveiled at the Centre of Excellence to mark their magnanimous contribution, heralding a new chapter of the Centre of Excellence, now rebranded as the OYOB Centre of Excellence.

The OYOB Property Group’s long-term vision is to partner with the Foundation of Goodness in taking the Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre model to every district in Sri Lanka, to create growth and meaningful change from the grassroots level upwards.

The Centre of Excellence has since inception, empowered over 200,000 rural Sri Lankans.

We salute the outstanding contribution by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) UK, in establishing the Foundation of Goodness’ flagship project headquarters, the MCC Centre of Excellence in Seenigama (2007 – 2020) and the Sri Sumangala College Lords Cricket Grounds in Hikkaduwa (Est.2007) declared open by the 2008 incoming MCC President, former England Cricket Captain Mike Brearley.

A plaque in honour of the Marylebone Cricket Club was also unveiled in Seenigama at the Centre of Excellence by the current MCC President and FoG Trustee Kumar Sangakkara, together with the MCC local Trustees, Vijaya Malalasekera (Chairman), Ajith Dias and Mano Ponniah and the Foundation of Goodness Founder/ Chief Trustee Kushil Gunasekera and Trustee Ashan Malalasekera on the 20th of March 2021.

Ragala Fire Victims Donation

On the 12th of March 2021, a fire broke out in a row of line houses at a tea estate in Ragala (Nuwara Eliya District), completely destroying 14 houses and leaving the 59 occupants homeless. The fire destroyed all the personal belongings of the occupants of the houses and it is suspected that the cause of the fire was an electrical malfunction.

These 14 families have been displaced due to the fire and are temporarily housed at the Kovil on the estate. According to the Ragala Police, in a lucky coincidence, no one was present at the time of the fires as the residents of those houses had gone to participate in the Maha Shivarathri Pooja held at the Kovil on Thursday night. 

Thanks to the kind donations of Mr. and Mrs. Pushpanathan and Ramya Sivendra, Mr. Luke Samarasinghe, Mrs. Enoka De Silva, Roger and Rozanne and the API Foundation team, we were able to provide numerous household items and dry rations to the 14 marginalised families in Ragala. 

MCC Scholarships 2021

For the 8th consecutive year, 15 promising young cricketers were presented with the prestigious MCC Scholarships by FoG Trustee and President of the Marylebone Cricket Club Kumar Sangakkara. These young boys and girls were selected due to exceptional performances during the previous season. All the players selected from around Sri Lanka have been ear-marked as future stars and these scholarships will be extremely helpful in supporting their cricketing and educational endeavors.

April 2021

12th Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre

The Foundation of Goodness opened the 12th Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre in Sisirawatte-Dambulla, located in the Matale District, in collaboration with our long standing supporters, Tokyo Cement Co. (Lanka) PLC.

The facility, which became the 12th Village Heartbeat Empowerment project of the Foundation of Goodness, was declared open by Dr. Harsha Cabral PC – Chairman, together with Mr. S.R. Gnanam – Managing Director of the Tokyo Cement Group and Mr. Kushil Gunasekera, Founder/Chief Trustee of the Foundation of Goodness.

The A.Y.S. Gnanam Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre situated in Sisirawatte, Dambulla, will provide free educational support on subjects such as Science, Mathematics, IT, English, Tamil, and Traditional Dancing, for Primary to Grade 5 students from low-income families. In addition to educational support for school children, other programs carried out at the Centre will include life skills & values, vocational training and sports, to empower the youth in the area for better employment opportunities. As it progresses, the Centre will offer training programs on widely sought-after vocational courses for youth, such as hospitality, agriculture, bakery, electrical wiring, CCTV installation, and mobile repairing. Women empowerment is a key focus of the Village Heartbeat concept, and as such the Centre also conducts professional courses on dressmaking, cookery, and beauty culture.

The A.Y.S. Gnanam Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre addresses much-needed social upliftment requirements of the rural communities in Dambulla – Kandalama areas. People living in the remote villages of Rathmalgahaela, Athuparayaya, Pahalawewa, Yakuragala North, Yakuragala South, Wilhatha and Kandalama Grama Niladhari Divisions will benefit from the initiative. Over 750 families, who’s main livelihood is farming and agriculture related industries, can now utilize the facility to improve their learning opportunities and expand the horizons of their children. So far, more than 800 beneficiaries from various age categories are participating in the multiple skills development courses at the Centre, which stands proof of the value it creates for people over time.

124 Cricket Bags in 6 Bags

As part of the foundation of Goodness’ rural sports development efforts, they have been receiving and distributing sports equipment all across rural Sri Lanka. In the past 6 months alone (from April 2021), over 124 cricket bags full of cricket equipment have been distributed to rural schools in Sri Lanka and aspiring sports men and women.

A special thank you to the following donors for their support:

Mr. Shyam Bhatia from India sent us 50 cricket bags full of cricket equipment, under his ‘Cricket for Care’ initiative. Dr. Athukorala too sent us a generous donation of second-hand cricket gear, many school items for children and cricket clothing. Bill Deutrom and the Sri Lankan Sports Association of Queensland, Australia for cricket equipment. A kind donation by Will Gaffney’s Bat for a Chance Charity in the UK. Tamara Lowe and Cricket Kindness for a donation of kids’ cricket equipment to rural schools in Sri Lanka. Harsha De Silva, for his donation of cricket equipment, that was distributed to 16 rural cricket teams and schools and last but not least, Harry Solomons and Kingsgrove Sports from Australia for an outstanding contribution of cricket equipment.

International Mother Earth Day and Environmental Efforts

The 2021 International Mother Earth Day was marked with the clear recognition of this call and its importance. The Foundation of Goodness has always recognised the importance of protecting the environment and working towards a greener tomorrow. Therefore, ideas of sustainability and environmental awareness are inculcated in the curriculum taught at all our Centres islandwide.

Our beneficiaries participated in many activities that teach them to care for the environment and become responsible citizens of Planet Earth which includes lessons from the Planetary Health Education Course, designed by former FoG volunteer Dr. Anusha Seneviratne with the aim of inspiring future world leaders of sustainability and champions of nature.

May 2021

Sports Success Stories

Over the years the Foundation of Goodness has identified exceptional talent from rural Sri Lanka in the field of Cricket. They have been identified through our sports coaching programmes offered free of charge across the country..

We are delighted at the recent opportunity to congratulate two of our star players, Kaveesha Dilhari of Devapathiraja College, Rathgama and Navod Paranawithana of Mahinda College, Galle for being adjudged the Best School Cricketers at the 42nd annual Observer SLT-Mobitel Schools Cricket Awards Ceremony.

Additionally, another outstanding cricketer whom we had the pleasure of mentoring and supporting (especially through the sponsorship of Harry Solomons and Kingsgrove Sports in Australia), Ramesh Mendis, performed brilliantly during the Sri Lanka Vs Bangladesh Test Series 2021, bowling an impressive 2/86 and 4/103.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Due to health regulations, many of our empowerment courses have shifted online. During the previous lockdown, the “Digital Village” concept was formed to ensure uninterrupted lessons during this turbulent period. Many of our beneficiaries, determined to succeed despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19, joined the lessons from their homes.

For over 20 years the Foundation of Goodness has tried to bridge the Digital Divide, with Digital Literacy at the forefront of our education courses. Computer training is offered free of charge, for all age groups, at our flagship venue in Seenigama (where we are also in the process of introducing a smart classroom) and the 12 Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres across the country. Additionally, desktop computers and laptops are donated to rural schools and individuals to ensure better facilities for all.

A special thank you to companies such as Standard Chartered and InEight who enabled us to upgrade the IT facilities of several of our Centres, providing hundreds of rural beneficiaries with a better learning environment.
As of 2020, the Foundation of Goodness is proud to have empowered over 6100 rural beneficiaries in Information Technology!

Community Psychosocial Unit

Being in a global pandemic can greatly affect mental health and wellbeing. Our Community Psychosocial Unit has mobilised to meet these needs and are busier than ever as they help the local community and our beneficiaries navigate this difficult time.

The Community Psychosocial Unit conducted special counselling and awareness sessions for the parents of the students of our Finding Dreams special needs unit and over 100 parents of preschool students in the region. They discussed the importance of counselling and how parents should be aware of the psychosocial state of their children, among other important topics.

These workshops are part of our belief to go beyond offering only knowledge based education for our beneficiaries.

Water for Puttalam

Teh construction of a deep well for the St. Sebastian Vidyalaya in Kandakuliya, Puttalam was completed and will greatly benefit 400 children and 20 staff members at the school, providing them with access to clean drinking water.

June 2021

The Importance of Business Skills Education

Many rural Sri Lankans are trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, without the right skills and opportunities to help them break free. They are often born into poor families who are unable to afford continuous education or they leave school to help support their families by way of farming or daily wage jobs. As they grow older, the opportunities only grow rarer.

The Foundation of Goodness long recognised the importance of providing vocational skills training, in addition to educational courses, at our empowerment centres for anyone who wants to improve or acquire new skills. This includes special business skills courses in photography, public speaking, CCTV installation, mobile phone repair and even auto mechanic theory, which is offered free of charge across Sri Lanka. The courses vary from time to time, depending on the demands of the local community.

Moreover, other courses such as the dress making course, food processing course and sewing course are extremely popular among rural women, who have even fewer opportunities to earn a living. The Dive for Good Centre in Seenigama also offers a free PADI diving course to local youth in the area! These divers go on to earn a living in the booming tourism industry of the area and much more. In addition to this, the Centres also provide compulsory courses, free of charge, in computer training and english language, which we believe is integral in improving the opportunities available for rural Sri Lankans. As of the end of 2020, over 12,500 beneficiaries from all over Sri Lanka had graduated from our vocational skills courses.

#togetherathome UN Volunteers Challenge

As Sri Lanka was placed under strict travel restrictions due to an onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Our beneficiaries and staff have been confined to their homes, with lessons conducted online or home delivered. Being cooped up at home for long periods of time can lead to distress and frustrations, which is why when UN Volunteers introduced the #TogetherAtHome challenge we introduced it to our beneficiaries across Sri Lanka!

We challenged our beneficiaries to come with simple activities to #volunteerathome under the 5 themes introduced in the challenge;Responsible consumption and production, Good Health and Well being, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Climate Action and Quality Education. Our beneficiaries were given the freedom to interpret each topic on their own and do simple activities with what each one meant to them. 

The results were pleasantly surprising as our beneficiaries found unique ways of expressing their thoughts and ideas and the Foundation of Goodness was recognised for our participation in the Peace and Harmony theme and Sustainable Consumption and Production. 

Tube Well for a rural village in Jaffna

This tube well, to the rural community of Manthuvil in Kodikamam in the Jaffna District! The tube well was built at the local community centre and will greatly benefit over 178 villagers from 78 families who struggle on a daily basis to obtain clean water! A special thank you to Tina and Salina, for helping this rural community.

Father’s Day 2021

Our beneficiaries from all over Sri Lanka have sent us their heartfelt tributes to their Father, in the language of their choice!

Educational Scholarships

The Foundation of Goodness was happy to award Maheswaran Kalyani, who topped the Kilinochchi District for A/L results in the biotechnology stream this year, an educational scholarship to attend University next year.

We reached out to her after learning from the local newspapers that when she received her results she was working at a garment factory to support her family of 5. Her father is a daily wage earner and her mother is a homemaker.

We were also happy to recognise and award an educational scholarship for Nilani Satgunanayakam who ranked first in her A/L stream in the Jaffna District this year!

She lives in a rural village with her mother and 5 siblings. Her mother is a housewife. This scholarship will enable her to attend the Law faculty of the Colombo University, to further her higher education!

When we saw the picture of 7 year old Shehansa struggling to attend her online classes using a mobile phone during flash floods in the Gampaha District, we were heartbroken.

We are now happy to announce that both her and her sister have been awarded educational scholarships, which is sure to help them pursue online school.

July 2021

Essential Grocery Packs – Phase 2

Over 2000 essential grocery packs were distributed to families struggling to put food on the table having lost their daily wages due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Distributions took place in the areas of Thanthirimale, Puthiyanagar, Monaragala, Welikadawatta, Dematagoda, Oddusuddan, Kataragama, Weligama, Mannar, Negombo, Narahenpita, Welampitiya, Ampara, Batticaloa, Bogawantalawa and Kandy.

Balapitiya Hospital Distributions

The Foundation of Goodness was happy to facilitate the provision of a gas burner with a foot switch, a Samsung refrigerator, 10 oxygen flow meters, 8 paddle dustbins and 8 commodes, wash basins and sink lever taps to the Balapitiya Base Hospital by Manik De Silva, to aid in their fight against COVID-19!

100 inhalers were also donated by Dinal Philips for their magnanimous and timely donation.

Tube Well for Elapathgama

200 villagers from 50 families in the rural village of Thanthirimale in the Anuradhapura District, are delighted to receive a tube well, easing their burden of fetching water from long distances. Many rural villagers in Sri Lanka struggle to obtain clean water for everyday use.

Pipe Borne Water for Puttalam

A clean, constant source of water continues to remain one of the most frequent welfare appeals that reach us from rural Sri Lanka. These 4 families from rural Puttalam rely on a daily wage of Rs. 400, from which they used to pay Rs. 300 a month for water. Thanks to a kind donation from Rob Setchell, they have now received pipe-borne water connections to their homes, meaning they have to pay only Rs. 50 a month for their water supply! This is a huge relief for these families who were struggling to educate their children and put food on the table.

September 2021

Tube Wells by Sanjiv Malalsekera

A tube well was completed in the Varuththolai Village of the Jaffna District benefitting 330 rural villagers from 88 families who no longer have to travel long distances to fetch water.

Over 5000 rural villagers from 3 Grama Sewa Divisions of the Mathagal area in the Jaffna District, will greatly benefit from this tube well, which provides them with a clean source of water. Previously they had to rely on irregular water bowsers or travel long distances for water everyday.

Essential Grocery Packs – Feed the Hungry Phase 3

Over 5600 essential grocery packs were distributed in 21 students for rural Sri Lankan families to put food on the table due to hardship induced by COVID-19.

October 2021

Children’s Day and Elders’ Day 2021

As the Foundation of Goodness marked Children’s Day, we drew attention to the need for definite action to improve the well-being of children everywhere.

The Foundation of Goodness continues to strive towards bettering the lives of elders in rural Sri Lanka, who are often helpless and unable to fend for themselves.

Supporting a Rural Kickboxer

The Foundation of Goodness awarded K.Inthugathevi, the kickboxer from rural Puthiyanagar, a sports scholarship and by way of the necessary equipment and other financial support, in order to represent Sri Lanka at an international kickboxing championship from January 5th to 12th in Lahore, Pakistan!

Thanks to kind donors such as Pratheepan Balasubramaniam, she can pursue her dreams. We wish her the very best of luck!

Sidath and Sharmini Welfare Projects

Every once in a while the Foundation of Goodness comes across remarkable people whose generosity changes the lives of thousands. Two such individuals are Mr & Mrs Sidath & Sharmini Wettimuny, who contributed towards several water and sanitation projects, facilitated by the Foundation of Goodness, in aid of rural communities. 

This includes: 

2 tube wells in the Jaffna District, bringing clean water for over 2500 rural Sri Lankans from 750 families! They no longer have to travel long distances to obtain water for everyday needs. 

5 brand new toilets and 3 toilet renovations in the rural Thirukkovil area of the Ampara District. This ensures that 35 rural villagers from 8 families, now have access to basic sanitation facilities.

A huge thank you to our FoG Family for their tremendous support!