Saj’s story
On 26 December 2004 a huge earthquake with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia triggered a tsunami which left over 230,000 people in 14 countries dead. Indonesia was worst affected but the toll reached tens of thousands in Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
The plight of the many affected people and countries dominated our TVs and prompted a worldwide humanitarian response. In all, it has been estimated that ordinary people across the globe donated more than $14 billion in aid.
Saj Desilva was one of those that desperately wanted to do something. He made a personal promise that as soon as he graduated from university he would go to Sri Lanka and help out. But he didn’t want to help by rebuilding homes or donating money to families. Whilst all incredibly gracious and noble acts of kindness, Saj decided he could help the people of Sri Lanka in a different way: by teaching karate.
Saj arrived in the coastal village of Seenigama, Sri Lanka, in February 2006. Understandably, he was highly nervous as he had no idea whether the concept of a karate class in a Sri Lankan village would be welcomed or not.
He had nothing to worry about! With the help of many friends and the Foundation of Goodness, the Seenigama Karate Club was formed almost immediately and well exceeded expectations. According to Kushil Gunasekera, the foundation’s founder, said straight away there was a noticeable improvement in the fitness, co-ordination, discipline and, most importantly, the confidence of all the village children that took part in Saj’s classes.
Saj taught karate free-of-charge for up to ten hours a day until June 2006. Through the generosity of his Sri Lankan uncle, Suranimala Diyabalanange, Saj was also able to provide each child with their own special “Seenigama Karate Club” t-shirt as well as trophies and medals used to reward efforts of the children in a day-long karate competition.
On the experience Saj says: “Seenigama Karate Club will always be a part of me. I have strong aspirations to go back to Sri Lanka as soon as I can and teach again, time permitting of course. Yet for the time being, I will continue to smile at the photos and videos of my experiences in Seenigama that remind me of undoubtedly the most amazing months of personal growth in my life. If you have a gift that you can share with the children then become part of that magical aura that fills the air in the village. Try and make a difference to the world of those children who have lost so much but are willing to do anything and everything to gain just a little back.”
Please click here to read Saj’s personal account of his time in Sri Lanka. You can also read the charity’s story dedicated to Saj, entitled In Recognition of a Sennigama Legend here. Alternatively, please browse through a range of Saj’s personal photos from his trips to Sri Lanka.