Sega in sri lanka
On a recent visit to Sri Lanka, no one can forget the shear brutality of nature and the fatal Boxing Day of 2004 where 230,000 lost there lives and thousands more were left homeless and displaced throughout south-east Asia.
Sri Lanka was surely one of the worst areas to be hit with at least one million people directly affected and more than 35,000 dead and 200,000 left without a place to live and loosing all their possessions.
Everyone at this time was so humbled by such a catastrophe that aid was quickly gathering momentum. In Spain and Gibralter the Manacare Foundation with donations of Medical supplies, food and clothes worked tirelessly to send 9 containers to the Asian Island.
A year on and naturally we are all a lot wiser. I say this because of much bureaucratic inefficiency and to put it blunt, down right corruption during our own flow of aid to the country.
My own experience of entering the country for the first time was one of organised chaos. Our drive from Columbo to our project south of the town of Ambalangoda was quite literally hair raising with what appeared to me that more than half of the drivers on the road had quite clearly never taken any kind of test. With everything moving at speed and with no laws of consideration for other drivers or pedestrians not to mention the dogs, cows and other animals freely roaming around it was truly an amazing experience that in 3 weeks of being on the Island I never encountered one bump or scrape. One becomes so accustomed to the way it is, that it becomes the norm.
One thing I brought back with me was the heart of the people. Their open hearted nature and their humble existence was truly an experience in itself.
However, my main purpose for being there was to educate the children the benefits of learning to play golf. Sri Lanka is well known for its cricket so my mission was to find that hidden talent in the golf field – another Tiger in the jungle!
At our site we had the Sri Lankan volunteers clear the way and prepare the ground for our Golf School. Youngsters ranging from 3 to 15 years made impressive use of their talents with our SNAG GOLF equipment, designed with a colour coded teaching system so simple that the kids had no problem in lining up their shots and SNAGING the ball onto the different colour coded targets.
It all made for great fun not only for the kids but for the adults who ventured forward to take up their stance and strike. SNAG GOLF very kindly sponsored SEGA GOLF with the intention of providing fun, joy and learning golf to the Sri Lankan children.
On site we have three buildings – a school/vocational training centre, health centre and special-needs therapy unit – when I left we had reached roof height.
Please help us to put a roof over the children’s heads and make your donations to The Manacare Foundation. You should contact simon@segagolf.com
Anyone wishing further information on Golf & Wellness Please contact me on simon@segagolf.com or 607 180 369 / 952 868 997 my website www.segagolf.com
