Eighty families from the villages of Uda Galadebokka and Galamuduna now have access to solar power with the help of Red Dot Power, Singapore in an initiative undertaken by the 2017 Pimp My Tuk Tuk Charity Ride. The 80 solar units with one solar lighting system capable of illuminating 3 light bulbs (up to 8-12 hours per charge) and an additional self-contained solar lantern were handed over to these villages which are not connected to the national power grid.
The Pimp My Tuk Tuk (PMTT) Charity Ride is made up of 54 eclectic riders who are financial professionals mainly from UK and now working in Asia, combine tourism with charity, travelling across Sri Lanka driving tuk tuks and conducting charitable activities via the Foundation of Goodness (FoG).
A significant endeavour undertaken by the group was to provide solar power to the two villages in Hasalaka. Uda Galadebokka and Galamuduna are situated 15 kilometres from the rural town of Hasalaka in the District of Kandy. Getting to the villages is no easy task as there is a seven kilometre trek through the wilderness to reach them.
There is a rough dirt track currently being constructed for the village of Galamuduna, and half the distance can be travelled by tractor, while the entire distance to Uda Galadebokka still needs to be undertaken on foot, made it all the more dangerous because of the wild elephants that roam the mountain side.
The villagers live a hard life, with no access to power or water lines, and face the many difficulties that come along with it, combined with their extreme isolation.
This effort has been made place to help lift their burden and improve their safety and quality of life by giving them the opportunity to light up their homes in the darkness of the night.
Spearheaded by PMTT Charity Ride 2017 sponsor Red Dot Power and funded by the same ride, 80 solar units were shipped to Sri Lanka. Representatives from both villagers travelled to Colombo for a one on one training program and workshop with Vijay Sirse, PMTT Rider and Red Dot Power representative who talked them through the details on using and maintaining the units.
The most difficult task was the process of getting the unit to the top of the mountain. Over the course of two days all the villagers descended to the bottom of the mountain where they met with the Foundation of Goodness team. On the first day, the units were delivered to Uda Galadebokka. With no roads that vehicles could travel on, the units had to be carried up by hand. The seven kilometre route was not a smooth path, and the group often had to scramble over boulders and other impediments while ensuring the safety of their cargo, which would be damaged if dropped.
On day two, the journey to Galamuduna was made marginally easier because there was a rough path being constructed to the village, where a tractor could travel half the distance before everyone was forced to go on foot.
At both villages, the residents were completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of this gesture. Solar powered lighting means they suddenly have many more opportunities than they did before, and as the villagers gathered to accept the solar units being handed over, they echoed the same sentiment that this was a life changing event for them, blessing those who made this possible for them, for generation to come.
If not for the kindness and generosity of the Pimp My Tuk riders, none of this would have been possible and two small isolated pockets of Sri Lanka would have continued to remain in darkness. Thank you PMTT 2017 and Red Dot Power for easing the daily struggle for over 300 people by providing solar power.
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 which today delivers a wide range of programs to over 35,000 beneficiaries from 200+ villages in the South, North and East of Sri Lanka annually, free of charge, via our 30 employment activity sectors.
When the years of conflict came to an end, the Foundation of Goodness extended its development activities to the post-war North and East of Sri Lanka and have been working in the North since January 2011, reaching over 35,000 beneficiaries to date.
The Foundation of Goodness has also branched out to offer its key courses and resources to distant rural villages via Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centre.
These centres strive to empower disadvantaged communities so that they may have equal opportunities to excel in life and 8 Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres have been established in the South, Southeast, North and East of the island, with plans currently underway to construct more centres.
