Month In Review: December

Hello again, everyone!

December has been yet another eventful month for us here at RotaractArts. Here’s a small glimpse into our endeavours during the month of joy and cheer!

Athwal

‘Athwal’, chaired by Rtr. Tharushika Peelikumbura, is arguably one of the most significant Community Service initiatives done by the Rotaract Club of University of Colombo, Faculty of Arts. A project that started back in August finally came to a close on the 16th of December. This effort saw a donation of 95 packs of dry rations to the students and teachers of Batawela Kanishta Vidyala in Padukka; a school that houses 83 students ranging from grades 1 to 5, most of them facing severe financial difficulties. This project was done in the hope of providing them, and their families some assistance with household necessities and their everyday expenses. 

Mr. A. Rathnakishanan, who was contacted by Rtr. Gethmi Adikari, donated Rs 160,000 for this endeavour. We also received funds from two other donors to buy biscuits for the children. Moreover, our president, Rtr. Anudi Karunaratne, contacted wholesale sellers to purchase necessary items such as rice, dhal, flour, various spices and samaposha. After collecting all the items, she  assembled the packs with the help of her family members who had volunteered to help out.

The Principal of Batawala Kanishta Vidyalaya conveyed to us that the 16th of December would be a viable date to make our donation. Rtr. Anudi Karunaratne contacted a lorry for the transportation of the item packs through PickMe and on the morning of the 16th, all the packages were placed onto the lorry and transported to the institution. Shortly after our arrival, we had a short conversation with the principal before donating the items to the children and the teachers of Batawala Kanishta Vidyalaya.

We hope that we were able to make a difference in the lives of those young ones who were struggling due to financial difficulties in the face of rising inflation and declining standard of living.

Tis’ The Season

‘Tis The Season, was a Club Service initiative organized by the Rotaract Club of the University of Colombo, Faculty of Arts, to share the Christmas spirit across Sri Lankan Rotaract Clubs. The project was chaired by Rtr. Hasanjalee Adikari. Eight of our dedicated members handcrafted about 130 Christmas and New Year cards and distributed them among the President or the Secretary of each of our fellow Rotaract Clubs, and to the members of the District Steering Committee.

The main objective of this project was to share the warmth of the season and give our fellow Rotaractors a reason to be cheerful. Tis’ the season (see what we did there?) of joy after all! Moreover, we hoped to spread the Christmas spirit and to strengthen the bond of the Rotaract family. Further the project aimed to enhance the creativity of members and to emphasize the value of empathy.

We reached out to the District Secretariat, Rtr. PP. Thisura Ramanayake, for assistance in obtaining the residential addresses of the District Steering Committee members and Presidents/Secretaries of the Rotaract Clubs. After we successfully obtained the addresses of our fellow Rotaractors the cards were then posted on the 23rd of December. Just in time for Christmas!  

All the responses we received from our fellow Rotaract Clubs were very heartwarming. We were thrilled to have been able to achieve the goal of spreading the Christmas spirit this holiday season.

Forspoken Phase I

The Editorial’s second project, Forspoken Phase I which started back in November came to an end on the 7th of December with the publication of six articles that focused on mysterious landmarks that belong to multiple civilizations across the world. It was chaired by the Editorial’s very own Rtr. Nirmali Amarasekara. As made clear in our previous Month in Review, the main objective of the project was to create awareness and touch upon the beautiful and unique man-made structures around the world and delve deep into the histories behind them. Further, Forspoken provided a platform for the Editorial members to express, and pursue, topics they were interested in. 

The articles that were published within the month of December under Forspoken were:

• The Great Wall of China
• Ellora Caves

The articles which were then shared across social media gained significant interaction followed by praise and positive comments from readers outside the Rotaract community. 

Ongoing Projects

• ‘Academic Writing 101’ by Professional Development 
• ‘Kuppiya ’21’ by International Service 
• ‘Enigma Phase II’ by the Editorial (Registered under Club Service)
• ‘Stop The Spread – Back to School (Donation Drive)’ by Community Service 
• ‘12th Installation’ by Ceremony Club Service 
• ‘Shell-Out’ by International Service 
• ‘Sustainability Summit 2022’ by Professional Development

– The Editorial