Teens on a mission to make a change
View(s):By Vinuri Gunaratne
Cricket: Undoubtedly the most intense national passion that unites the entire nation. Yet for the boys’ team in Kelamitiya (close to Tangalle), the much-loved game was simply out of reach. A disheartening lack of equipment meant the boys were unable to pursue their passion.
Along came the Second Innings Foundation, bringing them not just cricket gear but also a promise of new beginnings.
Anagi (centre) at her third Goodvile Camp
The Second Innings Foundation was started in 2019 when Rumi Nagpal realised his teammates at Elizabeth Moir Senior school had no avenue to donate their old cricket equipment. Now headed by Nirvaan Kanag-Isvaran, the foundation is doing its utmost to ensure that young people have the opportunity to pursue the sport they love.
Recalling the Kelamitiya team’s joy at receiving the cricket equipment, Rumi says they revisited them to make another donation.
Through such innovative approaches, Sri Lankan teens are proving that age truly is no barrier to creating meaningful change.
The Second Innings Foundation launched its first fundraiser—an annual cricket tournament—in 2023. Cricket equipment was donated to the Puttalam Bandaranayaka MV (a photo from their visit is featured on our Magazine cover)This year ‘The Nidahas Cup 2024’ raised over Rs 440,000. “We aim to become a household name in this space and plan to conduct many more fundraising cricket tournaments and increase the reach of the foundation,” Nirvaan says, attributing their success to teamwork. “Whilst sharing a passion for the cause, it is important to pick a versatile committee and to be able to recognise their different strengths and abilities.”
One of the fundraisers organised by the Period Project, held at Vihamahadevi Park
Finding the time and commitment to drive a project can be challenging. For Nirvaan, an avid cricketer himself, it’s all about navigating the challenges of leadership and advocacy while tackling a never-ending flow of school work.
For Anagi Gunasekara, her drive to make a difference came from the classroom itself. Tasked with creating a video campaign for the well-known brand, Oreo, Anagi found that the cream sandwiched between the cookies was the best aspect of the treat. Based on the premise that the goodness within us is the best part of being human, her initiative “The Goodville Program” aims to teach young children to embrace positive values through fun and engaging experiences.
Anagi’s programmes have reached over 700 children.
She won the “Well Being Award” in the 2023 New Generation Awards but says it hasn’t been easy. Schools initially didn’t see the value in the programme, and she needed to find the correct network of people to get support to take it forward.
One of her initial projects was a good deeds chart, first used in the nursery section of her alma mater, Ladies’ College. The chart encouraged students to complete good deeds relating to each of her own original cartoon characters, embodying their own unique positive traits. “I did not expect the chart to be followed through this well, I was so taken aback,” Anagi recalls. By collaborating with Bridge2Peace, a charity organisation that builds schools in impoverished areas, Anagi was able to bring her program to more preschools. Currently, she is researching the neuroscience behind social and emotional learning and creating guides for teachers and parents to integrate social and emotional learning into day-to-day life.
‘The Period Project SL’ founded by schoolmates Maya Dias, Savani Danangoda, and Nadia Nagpal aims to actively address issues of period poverty through their social media and dispel the societal taboos around menstrual health, creating an environment that encourages open conversation on menstruation and equitable access to menstrual products.
The idea of focussing on period poverty coming from her mother, Maya says helping people has always been important to her.
They started with a series of awareness posts; their first post on period poverty debunked many myths associated with menstruation. “Our campaign advocates that all women should be ‘proud of their periods’ and we want to erase the secrecy and embarrassment surrounding the topic,” she says. Having raised funds to donate sanitary products to the girls of Holy Rosary Sinhala Vidyalaya on a regular basis, the programme hopes to partner with larger foundations to hold more fundraisers and educational talks.
For more information:
@theperiodprojectsl (Instagram)
@secondinnings.lk (Instagram)
@thegoodvilleprogram (Instagram) / www.anagigunasekera.com/
the-goodville-program
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