Our goal is to provide special care and services to disadvantaged groups within the community,
including women, children, the elderly and the disabled.

The Foundation of Goodness recognises that there are a number of sub-groups within the community that deserve special attention since they are at a particular disadvantage, including women, children, the elderly and the disabled.

CHILDREN'S NEEDS

The early years of life are essential for a child's development and it is these years when a child should be nurtured and encouraged the most. Our children are the key to helping create a better world for our future generations. Youth are both a major human resource for development and key agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation. Their imagination, ideals, considerable energy and visions are essential for the continuing development of any society, particularly those in greater need, such as the disadvantaged rural communities.

At the Foundation of Goodness, we recognise that the children will be the future leaders of the development of Sri Lanka. So, we place a great focus on developing and fostering the skills and potential of our youth. Once high school is complete the youth in the area are typically left with limited opportunities. While the rural school system provides very little training in terms of business skills, there is also very little opportunity to learn new crafts. In addition, there are not many opportunities for rewarding employment at the village level, particularly for girls and women. To compound this problem, the vast majority of income and employment in the village was previously obtained from coral mining to produce lime. This is an illegal and environmentally devastating activity, which the village does not wish to continue. For these reasons a large segment of youth in the area can be described as bored, listless and a range of social problems from alcohol abuse to depression have emerged. On the counter side, since its inception, the Foundation has fostered and trained a group of young people in Seenigama as volunteers. From well before the tsunami these people were organizing events and developing skills. Today these young enthusiastic people coordinate the majority of administration functions of the Foundation's Seenigama office. They are a true testament to the benefits of training and development. It is critical that we provide more individuals with this opportunity. The youth need training, guidance and focus so that they may realize their potential in a wide variety of fields. While the tsunami was a truly devastating event, creating means of earning livelihoods and increasing employment levels is one chance to offer these youth a brighter future.

WOMEN'S NEEDS

In the local village context, women deserve particular assistance and support in the areas of reproductive health and education, livelihood support and women's empowerment. As part of the proposed new Centre of Excellence (a first-class institution for learning), the upcoming Women's Enterprise Centre will focus solely on improving the confidence, skills and income generation for the village women. With an educational program that includes sewing, screen printing, weaving, accounting and marketing, the Women's Enterprise centre will provide the opportunity for many young women to learn new crafts and skills. This will enable them to establish cottage industries in conjunction with the Business Skills Centre and to capture both the local and tourist markets.

ELDERLY NEEDS

In the Seenigama region, the elderly are cared for through both the community and the services provided by the Foundation of Goodness. One such example is the provision of specialist eye care services via a travelling eye clinic. Villagers over 55 years of age in the area received 145 sets of spectacles and the Foundation has also funded cataract operations where donors have been agreeable.

DISABLED NEEDS

The Foundation of Goodness provides services for the disabled on a personal case-by-case basis, thus ensuring that the individual receives the special attention required to suit his/her needs. The services provided are holistic, including not only medical care but family support and financial assistance.

Example: Ishara Buddhika is a six-year old village boy with autism. Ishara's parents face great difficulties caring for their child because he requires certain foods and 100% attention every day. The family currently worries that he may one day wander away from their home to the nearby river, which could be very dangerous. The Foundation of Goodness is currently assisting them to purchase and construct a permanent fence around the perimeter of their home as a preventative measure. The Foundation is also, through funding from donors, assisting the family to pay for his medical bills to specialist doctors.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

Throughout each year, the Foundation organises a number of cultural events and activities in order to preserve the local culture and maintain a sense of community. Since the area is made up of predominantly Sinhalese Budhhists, the majority of cultural events are related to important Buddhist festivals and occasions. The largest cultural event in the Seenigama region is the Seenigama Perehera, held in August, in which thousands of villagers gather at the Seenigama temple to celebrate the Buddhist tradition.

OTHER  SERVICES

The Foundation of Goodness provides a range of additional community services, including the arrangement of a number of workshops, educational seminars and the like.