It was an amazing gesture by Walt Disney Company (USA) to provide the Foundation of Goodness (FoG) with 64 used Pentium IV computers which were distributed to deserving rural schools and learning centres in the remote villages in and around the Seenigama region and beyond, to benefit disadvantaged children and youth. For these students who have never had the opportunity to use a computer in their lives, this gift was indeed an item of luxury which was welcomed with great delight, a blessing they never expected would come their way.

It is important to acknowledge Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida Inc, a non-profit organization for facilitating the donation of the computers through the exceptional efforts of Professor Wanda Chaves from USA, a lecturer from the University of Tampa in Florida assisted in bringing about this connection. Wanda is known for her humanitarian efforts where her writing gained her a publishing agreement with the ‘International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability’. If not for the collaborative efforts of all three parties, this outcome would not have been possible and might have been just a dream.

It is also pertinent to mention that caring university students of Professor Chaves worked tirelessly towards this project, in raising funds for the shipment of the computers. They have also been promoting the cause of FoG and its rural empowerment projects for the disadvantaged in remote backgrounds.

Through the help of Walt Disney Company and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida, Inc, FoG is able to provide rural children with continuous educational support, thus developing and empowering their skills, talent and knowledge. Through such projects FoG is able to achieve its goal of making each child computer-literate which will ensure them a promising future with great employment opportunities as they get older and in the process learn English too.

A special ceremony was organized on the 09th of February 2008 to distribute these computers which took place at the community centre of the Victoria Gardens housing complex, our latest and final housing project. School principals, teachers, and students alike gathered with great anticipation for this exciting event. As with any FoG event, the ceremony began with the lighting of the traditional oil lamp before the computer gifting letters were presented to each representative from various schools, Dhamma schools, learning centres at the temples and schools for Buddhist monks were chosen to be the beneficiaries, a total of 36 institutions altogether.

It is not often that such an extraordinary gift of knowledge comes their way. Having originated from poverty-stricken backgrounds, the receiving of such computers cannot be expressed in words but was witnessed in the beaming smiles on the faces of the recipients on the day of the gifting ceremony.

Many school Principals have subsequently acknowledged this marvelous gift through positive feedback which would not have been possible if not for the kindness shown by Wanda Chaves who met FoG’s founder/trustee Mr Kushil Gunasekera when they were both speakers at the 2007 International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability at the University of Madras, India.

The provision of the Pentium computers has indeed been an invaluable gift to the children and youth in the village communities which no doubt will have a lasting impact. It represents an opportunity to succeed in life and reach their city counter-parts on a more equal footing.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill

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