"The rebuilding of homes for the tsunami affected provides them with the opportunity to restart their lives. This also provides them with the opportunity to have a change of attitude towards life, and in their responsibilities to one another. Learning not to throw their garbage to the roadside, but separate it at home to paper, glass and plastics for recycling and learning to home compost is part of this new way of thinking. Sri Lanka needs not only to rebuild, but to rethink its past mistakes and turn positively towards stability and togetherness. I thank the staff of the Foundation of Goodness for the efforts that they put in to bring a positive change to the lives of the tsunami affected. May this be a model for others to follow."

~ Dr. Ajantha Perera

On 7th June 2006, the Lanka Orix Leasing Corporation (LOLC) conducted a day's workshop in Seenigama to benefit the residents of the recently completed housing project of 25 homes which they so generously funded. Presentations were conducted by renowned environmentalist Dr. Ajantha Perera, a RADA Representative discussing livelihood skills and Dr. Pandu Wijeratne, the founder of the THOTEN Preventive Health Program.

Guests received the usual warm welcome from the villagers, including a group of talented young female dancers. In the traditional fashion, the children then handed ola leaves to Dr Ajantha Perera and LOLC Chairperson, Mrs. Rohini Nanayakkara, and other special guests. The guests were subsequently welcomed into the Community Centre with a sweet Sri Lankan children's song. The new children's group, the Goodness Children's Club of Seenigama, which was recently established in the village of Seenigama to promote wholesome values and to develop sound leadership amongst the community, was also present on the day.

The workshop commenced with an inspiring and motivating presentation from Dr Ajantha Perera, who was invited to boost the environmental project that had recently kicked off in the village. Dr Ajantha's communication style using metaphors, witty humour and interactivity grabbed the attention and enthusiasm of all present. Dr Perera conveyed to her audience the message that everything in nature is cyclic and inter-related and whilst we may not realise it, all of our actions have consequences on the environment and those around us. The value of the environment was emphasized based on the fact that it provides for us air to breath, water to drink and soil to grow our food crops. In other words, to protect our environment is to protect our own lives. Therefore, each individual has a duty to perform in protecting the air, water and soil.

For those who were affected by the tragic tsunami it is difficult to grasp why they should protect the environment, when the environment has itself caused harm to them. It is often challenging to explain to coastal residents that they were living in a conservation zone, where construction was a huge environmental risk. The villagers must now start their lives afresh and examples were used by Dr Perera to explain how tragedies can turn into blessings, such as the story of the oyster, whose tears turn to pearls. Encouragement was given to the participants to rebuild, whilst ensuring that their household waste is managed through waste separation, recycling and home composting.

Sri Lankan born, Dr Perera completed her schooling in England and proceeded to study at the University of Sheffield. After finishing her BSc. Special Hons degree in Biochemistry and Physiology, she returned to Sri Lanka and then moved to Germany to study her MSc and PhD in Munich, specialising in Environmental Science. Upon completion of her PhD, Dr Perera again returned to Sri Lanka and worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Colombo. After her hard work visiting Sri Lankan waste dump sites, she developed a National Program on the Recycling of Solid Waste, where she warns citizens that in order "to protect the soil of your motherland, your garbage must be recycled".

Each day, she works with the people, for the people - precisely what Dr Perera had always wanted to do with her life. As Chairman of the Lanka Environmental Recyclers Institute, Dr Perera came up with the ingenious idea to reuse rubble left in the wake of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami to construct new homes and infrastructure. Dr Perera even originated the Sinhala word for "recycling": Prathichkkreekaranaya. In recognition of her hard work in the area of environmental management in Sri Lanka and abroad, Dr Perera has won an array of both national and international awards.

It is with immense gratitude that we thank LOLC for organising such a stimulating workshop for the villagers as well as thanking the presenters, Dr Perera, RADA and Dr Pandu Wijeratne for taking the time out of their busy schedules to educate and inspire the villagers to no end.