Sunday Times 2
140 villagers share just two toilets
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The Foundation of Goodness has, over the past 22 years, empowered more than 426,000 rural individuals by way of empowerment programmes and rural development initiatives.
The programme began in Seenigama and has now spread to encompass more than 500 villages via 11 ‘Empowerment Centres’.
The most recent development initiative took place in the village of Aalady – Uduvil in the Jaffna District, with a viral social media video leading the Foundation to a community of 140 people, who shared two decrepit toilets and one tube well.
The urgent need for better water and sanitation facilities was evident and the Foundation of Goodness immediately mobilised help from its family of supporters, to provide water and sanitation facilities for these struggling families.
The villagers spoke of the struggles they faced every morning when 140 people had to share just two common toilets and the difficulty of travelling back and forth from their home every day to collect water for drinking, cooking or washing from the single tube well.
(Above) One of the new toilets the Foundation of Goodness built in the village of Aalady; (Below) a new tube well built by the Foundation for the village
“Just imagine, in the context of these modern times, to have two toilets for 140 people. It’s truly hard to believe that such conditions can exist for mankind,” says Foundation of Goodness Founder Kushil Gunasekera.
The Foundation is proud to announce that thanks to its donors Ashan and Swasha Malalasekera, Dr. Kushwin Rajamani and Sasha Gammampila, they have now facilitated the provision of three more tube wells and the construction of four toilets.
In addition to this, 42 Essential School Supplies Packs were distributed among the young children, enabling them to start the new school year fully equipped with all the essential items, including shoes.
Despite these efforts in uplifting their standard of living, this rural community needs continuing support to come out of poverty and bridge the urban-rural divide. The Foundation will continue to appeal to gracious donors to empower this rural, disadvantaged community.
To learn more about the Foundation of Goodness, visit www.unconditionalcompassion.org