Our Partners
FOUNDATION OF GOODNESS
The Foundation of Goodness was established in 1999 and has worked extensively following the 2004 tsunami, that devastated the lives of thousands of Sri Lankans, to develop a one of a kind holistic rural community development model. Today the Foundation of Goodness delivers a wide range of programmes to over 35,000 beneficiaries every year from 500+ villages in the South, North and East of Sri Lanka, free of charge, via its 10 empowerment divisions: Business Skills and Enterprise, Women’s Empowerment, Special Needs, Language and Arts, Sports Development, Medical, Dental and Psychosocial Support, Children and Youth Development, Environment and Water, Rural Welfare & Development and Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres. The Foundation of Goodness also provides opportunities for volunteering and has established its own Sustainable Income Generation avenues.
In addition to its flagship venue and project headquarters, the OYOB Centre of Excellence and Sports Academy in Seenigama, the Foundation of Goodness has also branched out to offer its key courses and resources to distant rural villages via Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres. These centres strive to empower disadvantaged communities so that they may have equal opportunities to excel in life. As the nerve centre of the village, the Village Heartbeat concept works to give underprivileged villagers access to skills that will enable them to develop to their full potential and offer courses in areas such as IT, children’s educational classes, women’s empowerment, life values and life skills development. The Foundation of Goodness has already established 12 Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres across the island Mathagal (Jaffna District, Northern Region), Murukandy (Kilinochchi District, Northern Region), Oddusuddan (Mullaitivu District, Northern Region), Puthiyanagar (Mullaitivu District, Northern Region),Eravur (Batticaloa District, Eastern Region), Thirukkovil (Ampara District, Eastern Region), Mahawilchchiya (Anuradhapura District, North Central Region), Dambulla (Matale District. Central Region), Bandarawela (Badulla District, Central Region), Hingurukaduwa (Monaragala District, Central Region), Udumulla (Galle District, Southern Region) and Rathgama (Galle District, Southern Region) with plans currently underway to construct more Centres.
Since 2020, we have been working with the Foundation of Goodness to disseminate planetary health education to all of their Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres, with lessons designed by our founder Dr. Anusha Seneviratne. Our collaboration began at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with classes addressing how the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus and other zoonotic diseases emerge, how viruses cause illness and how children can protect themselves with basic hygiene measures. This was followed by classes on topics such as nutrition, mental health and how plants contribute to our survival. These classes complemented practical activities already run by the foundation such as cookery classes, tree planting and beach clean-ups.
CLUBE SAÚDE PLANETÁRIA LINS
Clube Saúde Planetária Lins – São Paulo is a branch of the Saúde Planetária initiative developed by the Planetary Health Research Group based in the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of São Paulo (USP), serving the Lins district of São Paulo, Brazil. Clube Saúde Planetária Lins is led by Lucas Sulino Fernandes has been appointed by the USP Planetary Health Research Group as National Ambassador for Planetary Health. The group partners with the ABPEducom Lins Nucleus, UNILINS (University Centre of Lins), UNISALESIANO (Centro Universitário Católico Salesiano Auxilium) and FATEC (Faculty of Technology of Lins) to create a population mobilization campaign to preserve human health and the environment. The campaign includes topics such as Covid-19, Dengue, Afforestation – Seed cultivation, Selective Collection and Solid Residues. Education is disseminated through videos, Podcasts, brochures, and pamphlets. The group has also hosted webinars featuring leading researchers from Lins on their panels.
Girawa is working with Clube Saúde Planetária Lins-SP by providing educational material on topics such as COVID-19, mental health, nutrition, plants, air pollution, vaccines, and climate change. Clube Saúde Planetária Lins-SP is translsting the material to Brazilian Portuguese and disseminating them to educational institutions in the community of Lins, with the aspiration to expand to other parts of Brazil in the future.