Principal support and fund-raising came from the cricketing community, with the M.C.C. offering generous contributions, and they continue to offer 11 combined cricketing and academic scholarships a year. The Foundation's actively involved trustees reads like a who's who of cricketing greats: Muralitharan, Sangakkara, Jayawardena, Vaas, and more.
The educational centre runs practical courses during the day for adult learners (we dropped in on a photoshop lesson of inducted on brand-new computers donated by Microsoft) as well as offering community medical services, all free of charge. Later in the day, the centre comes alive with local students who come for extra after-school lessons and activities. These are all staffed by members of the village (and an internationally diverse mix of volunteers), and the same model has now been replicated in over 50 different Sri Lankan villages, benefitting thousands in the process. Additionally, the Foundation functions as a thriving social enterprise, with spices grown on their land and clothes sewn in their factory all available on Tesco's shelves - a company who have sponsored the Foundation for some time, and whose C.E.O. flew out to witness the Foundation's success story first-hand just days ago.
Later in the afternoon, Latymer students ran the after-school activities for primary-aged students at the Foundation's sports ground (where we will be playing tomorrow). Splitting into three stations, Latymerians conducted a familiar kwik-cricket game, took others through their paces in football, and introduced the final group to the basic principles of rugby. The energy and enthusiasm from both the Latymer and F.O.G. students was palpable, with the session exceeding the planned 90 minutes, despite the searing heat.
There were seven different sports groups training in the afternoon heat, including swimmers training in the 'Bryan Adams Swimming Pool' (donated by the Canadian Crooner himself). It was great to see the Foundation was so clearly at the heart of the village and the wider villages; all their buildings reference the post-tsunami 'Wave of Compassion' which has fuelled the Foundation's growth, but so much of the success lies with the dedication and kindness demonstrated by so many Sri Lankans involved with this wonderful project. To find out more, please visit: www.unconditionalcompassion.org
