News
The first ever Good Life Centre in Sri Lanka

The Foundation of Goodness’ Good Life Institute launched its latest initiative, the Good Life Centre in September 2020 in the village of Kahawa, located in the Galle District. This is the first-ever Good Life Centre in Sri Lanka and will help develop marginalised children and youth in to successful and well-rounded citizens of tomorrow through a value based approach to development.
In line with the vision of the Good Life Institute, the Good Life Centre’s core focus is to inculcate good values in children from rural villages to be more responsible towards the community and environment. Alongside offering children support on school subjects, the Centre will deliver STEM education, an English Reading Programme, the Goodness Agriculture Initiative and the Children’s Good Values Initiative, free of cost (Visit the Foundation of Goodness website for more details about these programmes)
Striving in academic studies should go hand in hand with instilling good values into children’s lives from a very young age. The truth of the matter is, we now live in a world where parents and families have become nuclear due to their work schedules and other commitments. If a child is not able to imbibe the concept of “Goodness” from the time that they are aware of the surroundings and how to respond to it, their future path will have no real value. With this in mind, the Good Life Centre hopes to be a vehicle towards instilling a sense of empathy, integrity, and reliability amongst the youth of Sri Lanka so that they can take these skills into the adult world to make it better.
As the Founder of the Foundation of Goodness and the Good Life Institute, Mr. Kushil Gunasekera often says, “Education can make you rich, but values will make you happier”. The teachers and coordinators of the new Good Life Centre received a special training by Kushil Gunasekera, where he stressed on the importance of inculcating good values along with high quality education for the boys and girls in the rural village of Kahawa.
Since its inception last year, the Good Life Institute has developed and implemented various projects, notably the Good Life Experience – Better Than I Used To Be programme, MindShaper – What the Classroom Didn’t Teach, Planetary Health Education and the Children’s Good Values Initiative.
The Good Life Institute is an initiative of the Foundation of Goodness which has delivered humanitarian services aimed at bridging the urban/ rural divide for 21 years. The Foundation of Goodness flagship venue (The MCC Centre of Excellence and Sports Academy) is located in the village of Seenigama in Galle Districts and they also have 10 Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres located around the island in the districts of Galle, Monaragala, Badulla, Ampara, Batticaloa, Anuradhapura, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna reaching 31,500+ beneficiaries from 400+ villages annually, free of cost. To learn more, visit: www.unconditionalcompassion.org
Latest News
Navy seize two Indian fishing boats poaching in Sri Lankan waters north of Mannar

The Sri Lanka Navy seized two [02] Indian fishing boats and apprehended 14 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during a special operation conducted in the sea area north of Mannar in the dark hours of 08 Feb 25.
The seized boats together with the fourteen Indian fishermen were brought to the Iranativu Island and they were to be handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries, Kilinochchi for onward legal proceedings.
Latest News
Islandwide power outage

A sudden power cut has been reported across the island.
Accordingly, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said steps are being taken to restore the power supply.
Business
President invites exporters to rise again from the economic setback

President Anura Kumar Disanayake invited Sri Lankan exporters to rebuild and thrive on a robust economic foundation.
The President emphasized that our country faces the challenge of capturing market share from a position of relative weakness. He pointed out that, to overcome this, external support had to be sought. In this regard, he highlighted that the government is prepared to provide assistance for recovery based on the current economic stability.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake made these remarks at the 26th Presidential Export Awards Ceremony.
The 26th Presidential Export Awards, organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), was held on Friday (07) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) under the patronage of President Anura Kumar Disanayake.
The main objective of the awards ceremony is to recognize exporters who have made significant contributions to the economic development of Sri Lanka.
The Presidential Export Award, presented by the President, is the highest honour for Sri Lankan exporters who have made significant contributions to the export sector and economic development.
The Presidential Export Awards program, initiated by the EDB in 1981, has been held annually to recognize Sri Lanka’s top exporters. The awards ceremony for the 2023/24 financial year took place this year.
A total of 14 major awards and 51 awards in the categories of production and services were presented, with recipients gaining the opportunity to use the Presidential Export Award logo as a marketing tool for three years.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake further emphasized the critical importance of the trust placed in Sri Lanka by international economic stakeholders to stabilize the country’s economy. He noted that the global market economy is interconnected, not entirely independent.
He further pointed out that the primary challenge facing Sri Lanka is securing a substantial share of the market amidst the current global division of markets and the ongoing competition to reclaim market shares.
President Anura Kumar Disanayake noted that the global market has become an interconnected network. He emphasized that in order for the country to become a key participant in this market, it must engage in trade agreements that are beneficial to Sri Lanka. He cautioned that aggressive, reckless approaches to market penetration would not be successful, stressing the need for strategic, thoughtful engagement.
The President further stated that the government is already taking steps to provide the necessary technical support for Sri Lankan exporters to enter the market with high-quality products. He highlighted the government’s focus on supplying new goods and services in response to global changes, in line with international market trends.
Regarding the reduction of electricity bills, the President mentioned that the government is prioritizing renewable energy sources to maintain long-term stability in energy costs. He added that efforts are underway to lower costs and ensure stable pricing over the next few years.
President Disanayake also emphasized that the government is committed to playing a pivotal role in advancing the nation’s economy to new heights. He noted that even small or misguided decisions can have significant negative impacts on the economy, and therefore, decisions regarding the economy must be made with great caution and foresight.
In his remarks, the President assured that the government is fully committed to fulfilling exporters’ requests, which are vital to strengthening the nation’s economy and maintaining a strong economic foundation.
Finally, the President invited Sri Lankan exporters to unite in strengthening the economy, stressing the importance of collaboration and mutual understanding to navigate the challenges of economic recovery and growth effectively.
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished individuals, including Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Energy Kumara Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Thilaka Jayasundara, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Export Development Board of Sri Lanka Mangala Wijesinghe, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Duminda Hulangamuwa, along with various Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentarians, foreign diplomats, Secretaries to the Ministries, and members of the EDB.
[PMD]
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