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2006/2007 - Landmark Year for Colombo Central Rotary Club

Nimal Perera, Wattala Group corr.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Trauma and Emergency Stock Room at the Base Hospital, Hambantota a Rotary Project, outgoing President Rotary Club of Colombo Central, Rtn. Keerthi de Silva stated

Minister of Irrigation & Water Management Chamal Rajapaksa is at the opening ceremony of Trauma and Emergency Shock Room of the Base Hospital Hambantota. At right Rtn. Keerthi de Silva addresses the gathering at the opening ceremony of the Vocational Training and Community Centre, Duwe, Modera.

that during the year 2006/2007, Rotary Club of Colombo Central completed six major community service projects costing over seven million rupees.

Out of, these, a project to restore the livelihood of Tsunami Victims at the village of Duwe Modera in the southern coast of Sri Lanka was the major one.

Under this project, club implemented Twelve livelihood restoration, vocational training and community development programmes to the tune of approximately five million rupees.

Major component of the project included supplying of sewing machines, carpentry tools, welding machines, restoration of shops and restaurants damaged by tsunami, supply of equipment to vocational training and community development centre.

This project has benefited over one hundred families affected by tsunami.

Another important project was the establishment of Trauma and Emergency Shock Room at Base Hospital Hambantota which was declared opened by Irrigation and Water Management Minister Chamal Rajapaksa.

The Club established a Waiting Room for pregnant mothers at Maligawatta Maternity Clinic and provided furniture and equipment to North Payagala Fisheries Community Centre for the fishermen affected by tsunami.

Rotary Club of Colombo Central also helped Sukitha Home and School for mentally Retarded Children at Kaluthara by donating water pumps for drawing water from very deep wells and implemented a computer literacy project at Makandana.

“All these achievements were possible because we received financial assistance from Rotary Foundation USA and several overseas Rotary Clubs,” Rtn de Silva said.

Kandy Rotarians meet Lions on goodwill mission

Rotary Club of Kandy Metropolitan donated ten wheel chairs to the Lions Club of Kandy to sponsor a joint

With the wheel chairs, in the pictur are, from left: Rtn.Chandana Pathirana, Club Service Director, Lion District Governor Hemasiri de Silva, Lion Past Governor, Dr. Luxman Wijeweera, Lion International President Mahendra Amarasooriya, Community Service Director, Rtn. Timothy Paldano Rtn. Past President Indrakumara Wijayatilake, and Immediate Past President Rtn. Sivasubramanium.

project for the needy.

The value of the wheel chairs was Rs. 140,000. The Rotary Club of Kandy Metropolitan received these wheel chairs from Rotary Club of Vaxholm, Sweden. The presentation took place at the History Restaurant, Kandy.

The wheel chairs were handed over to the President Lion Hemaka Amarasuriya at a presentation ceremony when Lion International President Mahendra Amarasooriya visited the Dalada Maligawa. Rtn. P. P. Indrakumara Wijayatilake, Community Services Director, Rtn.Timothy Paldano and President Kandy Lions Club, Lion Dudley Gunathilake Co-ordinator Rotary and Lions Club, were present at the ceremony.

Sri Lanka Y’s Men 32nd Annual Regional Convention

The 32nd Annual Regional Convention of Y’s Men International - Sri Lanka Region was held recently at Hotel

“Inauguration of Convention (from left) Regional Director Anton Kandiah, Asia Area President Lee Joo-Min, International Council Member Rita Hettiarachchi and Keynote Speaker Kushil Gunasekera”.

Topaz, Kandy.

Over 200 members, families and guests attended. The Keynote Speaker on this occasion was Kushil Gunasekera, founder of “Foundation for Goodness” with which organization local Y’s Men have been closely connected in rebuilding the homes and livelihood of tsunami affected in the Weligama and Seenigama areas.

The guest of honour was Asia Area President 2006/2007, Lee Joo-Min. He reviewed the work that has been done by individual clubs during the past year and installed in office the new office bearers for Y’s year 2007/2008.

Enrico Brown of Colombo Club was installed as the new Regional Director while the convention elected Nihal Peiris of “Young Moratuwa” as the Regional Director Elect.

The Dehiwela Club was adjudged the best club for the 5th year running.

Some of the highlights of the convention were the recognition of Sri Lanka Region’s very own member, Rita Hettiarachchi as Area President Elect for 2007/2008 and the presentation of Sri Lanka being the venue for the 23rd Asia Area Convention in 2009.

Sri Lanka being bestowed the honour of hosting this event, is of great pride and prestige.

Sri Lanka Region belongs to the Asia Area of Y’s Men International to which Korea, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Hong Kong S.A.R. of China, Kazakhstan, Macau S.A.R. of China, Myanmar, Nepal and Taiwan, also belong.

Y’s Men International headquarters in Geneva Switzerland is a service club which works in partnership with the YMCA and it has been recently recognized as an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Colombo Down Town Rotary project to prevent blindness

The Rotary Club of Colombo Down Town recently completed a major humanitarian project aimed at ‘Preventable Blindness and Eye Care’.

The benefactors were several deserving school children in the remote areas of the Anuradhapura District that

The group of School Children who received spectacles before the GCE O/L Examination

covered Padaviya, Horowpothana, Medawachchiya and Kebithigollewa areas while the second phase covered schools selected from the Kekirawa, Ipalogama, Thiruppane, Palugaswewa and Palagala areas.

The project commenced with a Rotary team, including volunteer Eye Specialist Dr. Nalin Goonesinghe conducting a training programme for selected senior students and teachers to enable them detect vision impairment.

These teachers and senior students were equipped with ‘medical kits’ to conduct the tests and they screened almost 10,000 children for deficiencies in vision. This screening identified over 1000 vision-impaired children.

These children were then tested by the team led by Dr Nalin Goonesinghe on several visits to the different centers, devoting many an extended weekend for this work. The testing was done with equipment and in a manner no second to any in Colombo.

Thereafter, over 400 children who were found to be in need of spectacles were presented with good quality customized spectacles by Opticians in Colombo. This gave them the basic facility of good eyesight, especially to help them in their studies.

The presentation of the brand new spectacles was done at two ceremonies conducted at Kebithigollewa and Kekirawa Regional Educational Centers in the presence of officials from the Department of Education, Anurathapura District, Rotarians and Rotary Annes.

The ceremonies too were with a difference, since the children were trained on techniques of taking care of their spectacles and other important tips on eye care, by Dr. Nalin Goonesinghe.

The Rotary Team led by Project Chairman Rtn. Ajith Jayasinghe, and assisted by Rtn. Lasantha Salgado received immense satisfaction from this experience, since a highlight of the project was that almost 25 of the students who were sitting for the GCE Ordinary Level Examination received spectacles in time for their examination.

The “Preventable Blindness” and “Eye Care Project” was conducted in collaboration with Rotary Club of China Lake in California, USA which provided part of the funding; a true reflection of the humane and noble ideals of Rotarians worldwide.

Lions Club of Mannar:

Restoring sight for many in Mannar

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) together with the Lions Club of Mannar conducted an eye camp at the Mannar General Hospital.

During the eye camp specialized doctors and other medical personnel provided treatment free-of-charge to over 150 patients, most of them internally displaced and refugee returnees from India and presently living in rural villages in the Mannar district. Activities during the Eye Camp included, sight screening, provision of lenses and conducting cataract and other eye-related surgeries.

This project, funded by AUSAID and implemented at the request of the Regional Director of Health Service (RDHS) of Mannar, treated patients who are unable to afford treatment for their eye ailments in the district.