Kavinda Seneviratne:

Interact Experience

Angu Rajendran

His eyes light up and his face breaks into a smile as the word 'Interact' is mentioned. Eighteen year old Kavinda Seneviratne is the successful Interact President of Asian International School, more recently appointed the Head Prefect of the school as well.

Interact is the Youth arm of Rotary International that helps kids network and build confidence through the myriad community service projects that they organize at the School Level with guidance from the Rotarians in charge of the Interact Club.

"It is just about the best thing that happened in my life," says Kavinda, of Interact. A typical teenager, he had no focus in life until Interact 'happened' to him. He did captain the under 15 basketball team when he was fourteen but then he explains that he was 'at a dead end'. "I just hung out with my friends without a purpose, without any aim." His sister who was an Interactor and parents who have always encouraged them to donate to orphanages were keen that he had this 'Interact experience'. "It has really helped me a lot."

Kavinda who is overwhelmed by the effect that Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith portrayed during his visit to Colombo says "I have never seen a man transform like that. He looked so old and so stiff. And we were all expecting yet another boring speech aimed at Rotarians - people more than three times our ages. But...he played a cowboy song and danced up to the stage, got the audience clapping and singing and told us that Rotary and life are the same. He's the most inspirational man that I have met."

Kavinda feels in his listless age sixteen, joining Interact gave him some great insights into life. It was the Annual Ranuviru Sevana programme of his Interact club that truly opened his eyes to reality. This community service programme of his club is all about showing compassion to the severely injured soldiers who now, though looked after by the country at the Ranuviru Sevana camp, no longer have any role to play in society and feel very left out.

"The way they look forward to our companionship and the stories they tell us make me feel truly important, even if it is just one day a year," says Kavinda who has been truly touched especially by one soldier who has stepped on a landmine and the shrapnel that went into his brain has paralyzed his whole body. This community service project is truly a win-win situation. The teenagers feel as wanted as the soldiers that they visit.

"Interact shows us the real unfortunate segments of society. It helps us to get out of the Ivory towers that we live in. We feel like Robin Hoods when we collect rations and funds and give a Christmas party to the Prithipura Home for Disabled Children, when we went Carolling at the Welikada Prison in the womens' section or even when we held the biggest Humanities project - a free health camp for the poor at our school premises."

Kavinda is very sincere when he says "But more than anything, Interact helped me as a person to get more organized. Gave me a goal and purpose in life!" Kavinda considers being voted President of Interact last year, as the greatest opportunity in my life. "It actually helped me to grow up."

Of course, he humbly admits that there were flaws in many of the programmes they carried out. "They were not all perfect. For example we only brought in one pharmacist for the Health Camp. So though the camp itself was over by twelve, the crowd at the pharmacy was so huge that we had to wait till nearly five pm to clear up and go." Trial and error, that's how they learn. Notes were taken to avoid future mistakes.

For Kavinda the most fabulous thing about Interact is the contacts and friends made, from other schools and even other countries. "It just goes to show whatever the backgrounds we can live together in society through team-work and a purpose in life," says Kavinda who has truly found his purpose in life and is going into Medical research to help the world in the best way he can. He is a straight 'A' science student.

It is only when youth have nothing to do with time that they get into fights and are easily led astray, opines Kavida. "Interact is an experience for every teenager." Kavinda is one of many lucky youth who have got themselves involved in an organization where team-work and responsibility, with guidance from responsible adults - Rotarians - in charge and teacher, have shown the way to a future of responsible adulthood.