history

1984
Construction of "Bogenvillya", the guesthouse of the one world foundation (named after the bougainvillea flower) which is located 70 km south of Colombo on Sri Lanka's southwestern coast.

1995
Establishment of the one world foundation - free education unit, foundation of the school: 1 building with 3 classrooms, one teacher's flat and a garden. The school opens with 100 students and 3 teachers. The organisation of the school in the subjects of English and general education (mathematics, Singhalese, geography, history, hygiene, Buddhism etc.) is based on the British system and divided into preschool (Montessori) and grades 1 - 11 (secondary education, advanced education). Graduates of the school receive a certificate.

1996
The school is enlarged by 1 building with 2 classrooms. The school now has 200 students and 5 teachers.

1997
The school infrastructure is expanded with another building for vocational training and a sports field. The school has 300 students and 9 teachers.

1998
The Tailoring Centre begins providing one-year courses for women between 20 and 30 years old in the field of textiles processing. Each course finishes with a fashion show or an exhibition and graduates receive a diploma. All graduates who have completed the course so far have been able to integrate themselves into the employment market. The school now has 500 students and 12 teachers.

1999
The Computer Workshop with 7 work stations and 2 printers is added with the support of Prof. Seitz and a committed group of sponsors. In summer 1999, three computer specialists from Munich set up the newly air-conditioned computer room and hold a 4-week training course for 10 IT trainees. One of the graduates is now a trainer with Mrs Pryjanka de Silva on computer courses in which computer basics are taught as well as the use of programs such as Excel, Access and Power Point. At the same time, young children are made familiar with new technologies through games in order to reduce fear of the unknown and to enable girls to have equal access. A branch of the school is opened in Nelligaskale in a rented room. Nelligaskale is 8 km from Wathruegama and there is no public transport connection which would enable children to attend the one world foundation school. A teacher teaches young children in the mornings and general subjects for older pupils in the afternoons. There are approximately 80 students and 1 teacher. The school has 720 students and 15 teachers.

2000
At the end of 1999 there were 120 new registrations. 52 registrations for young children required the establishment of a pre-school programme. Only 50 of the 250 applications for the normal school programme could be accepted due to a lack of capacity. The staff of the one world foundation has grown to 22 of whom 17 are teachers.

2001
The number of school children was reduced from 700 to 500 to reduce the size of classes (meanwhile overfilled) and to increase the quality of education. Beginning of a cooperation with the foundation pro juventute Dortmund established by Margitta and Wolfgang Weber. pro juventute assumes sponsorship of all of the preschool classes in Wathuregama, Katuwila and Galwehera (some 5 km from Wathuregama) and launches an educational program for pre-school teachers in Colombo. Construction of a house on stilts next to the lagoon of the "Bogenvillya". Designed by the architect Carl Pruscha, this building is based on a simple modular system consisting of iron, wood and glass. Three transparent living units were created that the owf was able to begin using by the end of the year.

2002
Expansion of the school facilities enabled by purchase of adjoining piece of land. The building there offers space for a medical unit run by Dr. Paul Leyen. 50 lab examinations (in Vienna) and free treatment of school children.

2003
Restructuring of educational program with a stronger focus on English, occupational training (computer courses, tailoring training) and preschool (a new class added and four further teachers hired). "Women's Cooperation" launched - women are able to receive training. Certificate awarded at the end of the course. First phase: 2 school classes (tailoring / Wetekeja = typical Sri Lankan use of mangrove plants to create bags, table mats, etc.) "Women's Cooperation" founded as an organization in November 2004.

2004
27 teachers instruct approx. 500 children, young people and women in various age groups and occupational training programmes.

Tsunami, 26 December 2004
The one world foundation was hard hit by the tidal waves of the tsunami on 26 December 2004. Reconstruction requires a new start. By decree of the Singhalese government no schools may be built close to the sea. Therefore the one world foundation must acquire new plots of land at least one kilometre inland in order to guarantee the pupils' safety.

2005
The reconstruction of the basic infrastructure of the Bogenvillya building lasted until December. In addition to the undamaged schools in Galwehera and Katuwila arrangements were made for temporary accommodation of the pre-school units in a Buddhist temple in Balapitya, around 2 kilometres from Wathuregama. In March an empty villa was rented (later extended with open annexes), also in Balapitya, where the remaining units from Wathuregama found interim accommodation. The fast establishment of the temporary operation arrangements meant that the former capacity could soon once again be reached.
The search for a new school site began in January and in March a piece of land of about 16,000m² was acquired Ahungalla, only 1 km from the destroyed former school site. Architectural planning had already begun at the beginning of February(architects: Carl Pruscha, Martina Püringer, Varuna de Silva; statics: Wolfdietrich Ziesel) and the laying of the foundation stone took place in July. The main campus in Ahungalla was designed as a freely horizontally and vertically extendable, modular structure for about 500 pupils and extended by a further five units during the course of building.

2006
Despite unusually strong monsoon rain all concreting could be completed, and in parallel work was carried out on the interior fittings of the elements. The construction period for a built surface of 2,000m² was only 16 months. On 9 December the new school campus was officially opened with a large school festival and on 14 December the traditional end of term celebrations of all the existing owf preschool also took place at the new school in Ahungalla.

2007
On 6 January regular school operation was started at the new school campus. The temporary arrangements in Galwehera and Balapitya are now a thing of the past. The owf-free-education-unit now includes a total of 4 preschool classes, 4 English classes, 2 primary classes, 4 computer classes, 3 tailoring classes of Women’s Cooperation as well as an adult education programme for mothers, a music class and physical education.

2008
In Sri Lanka in 2008 the increased intensity of the civil war in the north-east of the island brought with it, besides human suffering, rising prices, warnings against travelling to the country and thus a lack of guests at the one world foundation. On top of this came the first signs of the worldwide financial crisis. Although this also made it a difficult year for the owf, the number of pupils continued to rise and endeavours were aimed at further consolidating school operations one year after the opening of the new campus in Ahungalla. In addition, on the owf Bogenvillya site, a spacious garden loft was built which is now available to owf guests and brings additional income.

2009
On 30 March 2009 the owf lost its founding director Joseph Ortner, whose death in Vienna came as a complete surprise. The burial of his urn took place in April in Sri Lanka. The founding director Kathrin Messner now runs the one world foundation alone. Unfortunately Joseph Ortner was unable to experience the end of the years-long civil war, which was officially declared ended in May. In 2009, accompanied by this hopeful prospect for the peaceful coexistence of all ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka, the owf worked on the further professionalisation of school operations. Cooperation was begun with state organisations ("NAITA – National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority", "TVEC – Tertiary & Vocational Education Commission of Sri Lanka for Computer Courses") in order to be able to award graduates internationally recognised certificates. The curricula were brought into line with state curricula and external examiners now oversee the final examinations at the school, which follow the internationally recognised examination system "National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)". At the end of 2009 31 teachers teach approx. 1,000 pupils at the owf – free education unit facilities.