ANNUAL A N N U A L A N N U A L EDITION 2 0 2 2 / 2 3 FEATURING LEO LION THATHSARA RAJAPAKSA PFLM IMMEDIATE PAST DISTRICT PRESIDENT LEO DISTRICT 306 B2 VOLUME04 E D I T I O N
C O N T E N T IMMEDIATE PAST DISTRICT PRESIDENT'S NOTE LEO CLUB OF GAMPAHA METRO PROUD MOMENTS SERVE THE WORLD LEO OF THE MONTH EDITOR'S NOTE EDITORIAL PANEL REACH US 04 05 06 07 18 19 20 21
It gives me great pleasure to pen my final message as a Leo for my own home club - Leo Club of Gampaha Metro for their commendable newsletter - Voice of Leos. I draft this message in the memory of all those who have helped me become who I am today. Leo Club of Gampaha Metro has given me enough opportunities to groom myself to do better. I’d like to thank all the present and past members for all the memories you all have built with me. Leo Club of Gampaha Metro has a set of individuals with talent and dedication to take forth the purpose of this wonderful organization. I am proud to believe that it is one of the clubs who abide by the constitution and make use of the guidelines that enables the organization to operate hasslefree. Club newsletter was initially started in the year 2019/20 as Leo Dr. Chathuri Wickramaaratchi as the Chief Editor (if my memory is correct) under the name “Voice of Leos” when no other entity had claimed the name. Although there is some competition over the branding at the moment, I truly wish that the responsible parties may soon understand and be humble enough to do what’s right - especially at a point where the initiative has won the title of “Best Bulletin Editor 2021/22” at the Leo Multiple District 306 Sri Lanka. IMMEDIATE PAST DISTRICT PRESIDENT'S NOTE I’ve first hand seen and experienced the efforts behind the work of the newsletter itself. Having an idea about the chief editor for the year Leo Nimasha Jayakody, I’m sure the editorial team must have had a hard run. Spell checks, grammar and the tiniest alignment matters to the team. That’s the quality that the team portraits to the community passing along the message of dedication and passion of a true leader. Finally, I wish all the Leos of Sri Lanka and Maldives all the very best for future endeavors. I truly believe that earth’s greatest treasure lies in human personality and that service to humanity is the best work of life. LEO LION THATHSARA RAJAPAKSA PFLM IMMEDIATE PAST DISTRICT PRESIDENT LEO DISTRICT 306 B2 04
LEO CLUB OF GAMPAHA METRO Leo Club of Gampaha Metro is a club that has produced many talented youths for years and provided excellent service throughout. Currently Leo Club of Gampaha Metro has 190+ active members & successfully organizes various projects to fulfil the community needs, in the fields of health care, elder care, children, differently abled, literacy & education, and youth development. “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” - Sherry Anderson - There is no real ending. It's just the place where you stop the story. Leo Club of Gampaha Metro stepped to a new pathway. Always we hope to give an opportunity to serve the world by improving our leadership and voluntary experience. 05
PROUD MOMENTS MID YEAR CONFERENCE 2022/23 Shining Star Award Leo Nimasha Jayakody FLM Top 20 Club Presidents Award Leo Lion Hansa Ranasinghe PFLM Bringing it Beyond Award Leo Lion Sandun Weerasinghe PFLM Everyday Hero Award Leo Anugi Arrawwala B2'S GOT TALENT Singing -1st Runner Up Leo Chanuka Cooray Dancing - Finalist Team Maathraa ELATION Singing - Finalist Leo Chathura Deminda 06
w¨;a jirla hkq kejqï werUqul Wodjls" w¨;a b,lalhka iuqodhls" n,dfmdfrd;a;= f.dkakls' tneúka w¨;a udj;l mshux lrk wm yg" w¨;a udj;l wdrïNh hkq wdYs¾jdoh wjeisu fudfyd;hs' .ïmy kd.ßl ,sfhdajrekaf.a kj jirl wdrïNfhys kjuq jQ wx.h f,i —wdYs¾jdo mQcd˜ jevigyk kï j we;af;a tneúks' jd¾Yslj mj;ajkq ,nk fuu wdYs¾jdo mQcd jevigyk fujr 2022 jQ cq,s ui 17 jk Èk meje;aúh' fmrjre 9la jQ iqn fudfydf;a Nla;s jka; jQ is;a fmroeß lr .ksñka .ïmy idu uyd úydrh iy miqj .ïmy isßl=rei foaiajia:dkh hk isoaOia:dkhka oaú;ajhka ;= < wd.udkql+, pdß;%jdß;% bgq lrñka kj jirg fi;a m;d fuu mQcdjka meje;aúh' kdñlj fjkia jqj;a ish¨ wd.ï ;=< we;af;a tlu wdYs¾jdohla hkak mila lsÍug wd.ï fNao mfil,d iïnkaO jQ ,sfhdajreka ;rï idOlhla ;j;a fkdùh' fuu wdYs¾jdo mQcd jevigyk .ïmy kd.ßl ,sfhdajrekaf.a fuu kj jir taldf,dalu;a lsÍug iu;a jkq we;s nj ldf.;a me;=u úh' wdYs¾jdo mQcd wfmalaIdjg w;aje,la The burden of cancer in Sri Lanka is on the rise. The overall incidence of cancer in Sri Lanka has doubled over the past 25 years with a parallel rise in cancer related mortality. Cancer has become the second commonest cause of hospital mortality in Sri Lanka. The main focus of the project was to bring a smile to the face of children who are suffering from cancer. Team has presented a series of awareness programs including the basic symptoms of childhood cancer, the types of cancer, how to prevent it before it becomes a victim of cancer, as well as how childhood cancer can be cured. By donating medicine at a cost of more than one lakh and fifty thousand, to the pediatric cancer ward of the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital the first phase of the project 'අපේ ක්ෂා වට අත්වැ ලක්' has ended successfully. S E RV E T H E W O R L D 07
You can access the recipes through the below link; https://anyflip.com/ohttj/jpud/ CYBER SECURITY There was a need for a project related to cybersecurity, which is an emerging technical topic in Sri Lanka. INDIATECH International is an international Company in India joined hands with Leos of Gampaha Metro. Founder and Director; Dr. Harish Chandar was the facilitator and modern technological aspects in Cyber Security field was effectively communicated for the betterment of this technological revolutionary generation. On 07th of August 2022, it was broadcasted via Zoom and successfully completed. PROJECTLIGHTUP Project Light up was an initiative exclusively for the Leos of Gampaha Metro. Leo Club of Gampaha Metro is a club which promotes Leadership, Experience and Opportunity to its members. The main objective of the project was to groom more quality leaders through the club and help the members to develop themselves in a good manner. Accordingly, three training sessions were conducted regarding the topics of “How to do a quality project”, “Project Reporting”, and “Leadership”. Finally project Light Up was successfully concluded with much positive feedback from the club members. M COOKERY "Cooking is like love,it should be entered into with complete abandon or not at all" This project was planned to give mental pleasure to people struggling with the economic crisis as this project was mainly focused on health, nutrition and health Safety. Apart from that, we wanted to restore the values of the ordinary Sri Lankan Taste. Along with the prevailing economic crisis in our mother country, the nutritional and health needs of people have become an essential topic. We identified this as an excellent opportunity to develop our knowledge about food and culinary. So, we decided to collect recipes from ordinary people with the hope of developing nutritional level of the country. From ancient times, we have a unique food culture and taste, and this was an excellent opportunity to restore the goodness of our food culture. Moreover, this program was an open invitation to develop knowledge. You can also join hands with us to lend a helping hand to the society by joining these exciting projects. 08
"Kn o wle dg e is th e e y e of d esire a n d ca n b eco m e th e pilot of th e so ul." DO YOU KNOW is;=ú,s 100 Through the “සිතුවිලි 100" project, team successfully brought great attitudes to the society. Leos of Gampaha Metro believe that the efforts was successful based on the good responses team has been received from the society. The project "අරු ණැ ල්ල" is based on a mental health awareness programme that was done physically for the school students who are within the age group of 15 to 19 , in order to make the crowd more aware of the importance of mental health and a child's behavioral and cognitive development with their physical growth. wreKe,a, w;aje, As the continuation of the second phase of the “අත්වැ ල 2.0” project of the Leo Club of Gampaha Metro, “අත්වැ ල 2.0” project team has started the "අත්වැ ල 2.0" this year to help needy students of Gampaha girls’ home and Gampaha boys’ home. Leo Club of Gampaha Metro lent their helping hands for the students to continue their education during this pandemic situation through the project, "Athwala" which has been a well-reputed signature project organised by Leo Club of Gampaha Metro. Nearly 100+ working hours have been covered in the "අත්වැ ල 2.0" project with the teachers' panel. BADURAWE BIGU NADHA The major objective of this project is to do an in depth research about Sex Education and visit certain establishments to see people who are infected with certain sexual diseases and discuss methods of treatment and future processes. L U MIE R E Project Lumiere is targeted on an educational project, and the objective of Lumiere is to create a learning platform for French through social media. This project consists of two teams acting hand in hand, each lead by the two chairpersons. One team will take care of the teaching side , which will include writing scripts and articles. The other team will handle the social media platforms while creating the necessary visual aids, such as animations and videos. Lessons will be uploaded weekly. As our community grows, through this project we hope to hold webinars as well as cultural events with the help of clubs and societies with similar interests as ours. 09
IGNITE ELEVATE FUTURE was initiated by Leo Club of Gampaha Metro in hopes of promoting and encouraging business ventures and special talents of Leos of Gampaha Metro. After interact with leo club members Elevate team identified there are many new business initiatives of Leos of the club and found out that they need some support in promoting their new businesses. Since the official club Facebook page has a higher reach per post the project team came up with the idea to use this social media platform for the project. The team collected information from our own Leo club members about their business start ups and created promotional flyers displaying both the product/service and the Leo member details as well. Then posted on the Official Club Facebook page to promote the business start up of that member. After the successful completion in 2021/2022, team has shared new business initiatives through our club social media platforms with high social media interactions this year as well. Project Elevate will continue to encourage and support the youth of tomorrow to venture into new businesses in the next year as well. "To be the flame of Sri Lankan Leoism" W E E L E V A T E Y O U W E L E A D Y O U 10
Team “Thaksalawata Athwelak” has visited the preschool which is situated at Sri Mangalaramaya - Nambuluwa Pasyala, and identified that the children who end the preschool period are in a difficult situation to get stationary items. We really believe that most of the children from low-income families will be one of the privileged pioneers and leaders in the near future. Leos have donated stationary items along with the concert of Sumithra Pre School. Under the phase 01, Leos were able to distribute those items and analyse the requirement of having such a social servicing preschool. As phase 02, Leos were able to contribute more desks and chairs to the preschool to give the opportunity for the children of low income families. Leos have planned to renovate the playground of preschool as a new project in the next leoistic year to make the children comfortable with the study life and playful period. This is the importance of the projects initiated by Leos of Gampaha Metro. We serve the real beneficiaries to make the project a success. We already proved the motto - If there is a need, there is a LEO. THAKSALAWATA ATHWALAK Leos of Gampaha Metro always focus on leading the leaders. Sumithra Pre School, Nambuluwa is one of the famous and the oldest preschools in Mirigama Divisional Secretariat area that has a history of more than 25 years. Mr. Kulasiri Weerasinghe and the late Mrs. Rathna Weerasinghe; the Founders of Sumithra Pre School, have established the preschool with an intention of giving free education to little kids under the guidance of Rev. Panawala Narada Thero. The objective of the project was to reduce the isolation of elders in elderly homes by planting trees with them, providing fresh vegetables, and creating awareness among younger generations about the importance of taking care of the elderly. Ultimately, we aimed to promote a caring and loving environment for our elders and improve their mental health. HUSMA HADANA THURU 11
T RA I N T H E T RA I N E R Dis c u s sio n s e s sio n s, f ollo w e d b y f e w c a s e s t u d y e x e r cis e s w hic h w a s o r g a niz e d b y L e o Clu b o f G a m p a h a M e t r o. L e o s w h o a r e h a vin g t h e p a s t e x p e rie n c e s in a w a r d win nin g p r o j e c t s a n d w h o a r e h a vin g n e w id e a s a n d g o o d r e p o r tin g s kills will c o n t rib u t e in t h e s e w o r k s h o p s b y s h a rin g t h eir k n o wle d g e & e x p e rie n c e s. Considering the cost-effective n e s s, a n d tim e - s a vin g b e n e fit s, m o s t o f t h e dis c u s sio n s w e r e h eld vir t u ally via Z o o m a n d a s t h e implementation of good case practice itself and to keep the interaction & motivation of the participants. The first session was done by Leo Hashan Thilakarathna PFLM; the Leadership Director of Leo Club of Gampaha Metro and the second session was done by Leo Olu Ranasinghe - Assistant Secretary, Leo Tamasha Fernando- Leadership Team Head and Leo Chanuka Cooray - Service Team Head. 12
Project Soba is a joint project conducted with Leo Club of University of Sri Jayawardenapura. The aim of the session was to collect data and information about the aquatic species, considering their populations, behavior, and ecology, which can help inform scientific research and conservation efforts. Main resource person of the project was Plnr. Mr. N.A.S.N.Nissanka – ( +94 71 8099 088), Act. Deputy Director General - Project Management, Environment and Landscape Division, Urban Development Authority. The session was led by trained researchers and conservationists. Participants were given specialized training and equipment, such as fish / bird identification guides, binoculars, spotting scopes, and tracking devices. During the session, participants were taught how to use the equipment and skills to identify and observe various fish / aqua-plants / bird species, recording their observations and how to collect data on their behaviors, habitat use, and distribution. The session involved techniques such as mist netting, banding to capture and release the species as well. The scientific nature observing session was focused on collecting data and information that can be used to inform scientific research and conservation efforts. Beddagana Wetland Park initiated a series of awareness workshops for the surrounding communities during the last couple of months as a part of the project, Increasing the resilience of biodiversity and livelihoods in Colombo’s wetlands project. The main objectives of these workshops were to identify the best practices in community wetland management to safeguard biodiversity, improve livelihoods and ensure the well-being of the population of Colombo city. The project was an immersive and educational experience, providing all the participants with a greater appreciation and understanding of the natural world and its inhabitants. fidnd 13
It has been observed that many people in Sri Lanka fall under the dire influence of drugs, including school children who have promising futures ahead of them. In light of this, it was decided to organize a project titled "මතින් තො ර හෙ ටක්" with the objective of providing school children with information about drugs and the consequences of their misuse. The project was held at Parakrama School, Bandarawatta, and was attended by a total of 500 students from grades 10 and 11. The officers from the Narcotics Division in Gampaha were invited to deliver a small presentation on drugs and their use and misuse in our society. The presentation was well received by the students and helped to increase their understanding of the dangers of drug abuse. The project was a success, and it is hoped that it will help to prevent drug abuse among the younger generation and create a safer and healthier society for all. Hope to continue this project in next year too. u;ska f;dr fygla NUTRIVIVE Nutrivive, a project dedicated to fighting malnutrition and hunger in underprivileged communities, has been making strides towards its mission. Through various initiatives, Nutrivive aims to spread awareness and provide practical solutions to this pressing problem. The project has distributed flyers containing facts and information about the importance of a balanced diet and organized a seminar in a primary school, where students were provided with practical knowledge on how to grow their own nutritious food. The community's response has been positive, and Nutrivive aims to continue its efforts to provide individuals with the necessary tools and knowledge to make informed decisions about their diet. The project's efforts are making a significant impact in addressing malnutrition and hunger in communities, and its commitment to continuing these efforts will bring positive change to those in need. 14
The project සං වේ දනා was organized to serve disabled children and adults in a special needs education school. Sahana special needs education center at Kelaniya was chosen for the project, where 25 disabled children and adults ranging from ages 4 to 40 were recipients. In the first phase of the project, they donated the required gifts for their new year celebrations, which included items such as water bottles, drawing books, crayon boxes, pencils, erasers, etc. On 20th April 2023, the second phase of the project was conducted. In the morning, two counseling officers from the Mahara Divisional Secretariat office arrived and conducted several activities with the children, including painting and storytelling. In the afternoon, an entertainment program was held with a special guest, mainly singing and dancing. The main focus of the project was to increase the mental health of the special brothers and sisters by spending time with them and creating everlasting memories for them. ixfõokd Leos always accept challenges. Gampaha Metro Leos have identified a forecasted challenge will occur in near future. Due to low number of active participation of graphic designers and media coordinators, team “INEVITE” has seen the effect for the media and publicity side of the club. Project INEVITE has successfully completed with the help of fellow club members. INEVITE LEO CAROLS The mission of the project Leo Carols is to engage the Leos and Lions of Leo Club of University of Kelaniya, Leo Club of Gampaha Metro, and Leo Club of Gampaha Metro Junior, along with their sponsoring Lions Club of Gampaha Metro together and to make the December 2022 memorable. Accordingly, the Leos and Lions of Leo Club of University of Kelaniya and Gampaha Metro organized and participated in this event, enjoyed the day, and made a strong Leo fellowship and bond between the clubs. 15
The key to successful waste management is education and engagement. By raising awareness and promoting sustainable practices, we can all do our part to reduce waste and protect the environment. Therefore, instead of doing a traditional way to collect data, analyze it, and come up with traditional solutions, a suggestion came to conduct a wide/ scientific survey. Analyzing the results, and going for a poster competition to collect innovative ideas from the general public and specifically undergraduates was the main idea behind the project. After that, we planned to publish them, so that awareness would be created among the general public and the stakeholders. Next, we thought to select and analyze those ideas and then develop a product/concept for managing waste using new methods. This was the entire planning procedure that we had on our minds. RESCOP A survey was done using google forms, and a report was made under the guidance of the Senior Professor in Forestry and Environment Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. She gave her consultancy by reviewing and commenting on the survey and analyzing the findings and conclusions. Then, using the findings of that, collecting new ways to manage waste in an innovative way, as well as to raise awareness about waste management and encourage reuse, we conducted a poster competition. It was done in two steps, considering the general public and university undergraduates as well-awarded stakeholders. After that, using their ideas, entrepreneurs who would like to add innovative agricultural solutions for waste management were informed of innovative products we managed to find out through the survey, and then the competition. Then, they were encouraged to produce them and sell them. LEO CHRISTMAS'23 Due to the complicated situations in the country, the national blood bank has a low level of blood. In order to address this issue, a blood donation campaign was conducted by the Leo club of Gampaha Metro on March 12, 2023, from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. at “Niwahana” premises, All Island Buddhist Ladies Conference, No. 08, Vidyala Mawatha, Gampaha. RUHIRU On the 31st we organized our beloved Clubs' Christmas party. The aim of our project was to further develop the bond between the members of our Leo Club. Our project successfully helped us to achieve this goal to a great extent. 16
ELATION Elation SL can simply be described as the largest Talent Hunt in the History of Leo Multiple 306, Sri Lanka. Elation provides the necessary platform to showcase one’s own hidden talents and mold them by giving them value. Being an initiating concept of the Leo Club of the University of Colombo 306 C1, B2 SOORYABHISHEKA To promote and celebrate the cultural traditions of Sri Lanka, while providing an opportunity for all B2 Leos to come together and participate in a funfilled event that includes games, food, and entertainment. The event aims to foster a sense of community and unity among the Leos of the district and create a memorable experience for all those who attend. Through this event, they aim to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Sri Lanka and provide a platform for all Leos to come together and appreciate each other's traditions. By working collaboratively on this project, the Leos hope to develop teamwork and leadership skills, as well as build strong relationships with one another. Elation gave a definition to talent searches organized throughout the Leo Multiple District 306 by joining hands with several other performing clubs in the country. By the word itself, Elation is where one can taste the joy of victory through hard work and dedication. LEO KING & QUEEN Project "Leo King & Queen" was carried out by Leo Club of Gampaha Metro to create a platform for Leos to showcase their talents and personalities via Facebook. In the meantime, we were aiming to improve the public relations of the club by increasing its social media interactions through the "Leo King & Queen" competition. Those who are willing to show their talents. But unfortunately, the number of platforms to do that is very low. Hence, we organized this competition to help those talented people showcase their talents. The “Most Talented” and "Best Leo Personality and Leadership" were judged by the judging board. The “Most Popular Leo” was decided on a point-based method (Facebook Likes and Shares). At the same time, we could increase our club’s Facebook likes by making it mandatory to like our page as a fair vote. We could increase our Facebook interactions with likes and shares as well. We decided to award all the participants with a participation certificate. And also, we awarded “The Best Personality and Leadership” , “Most Talented,” and Leo King and Queen" for respective winners. A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER “A December to Remember” project of the Leo club of Gampaha Metro, We started this year to help little children of Gampaha girls home and Gampaha boys home. Our aim was giving them some quality time with fun and gifts. For the month of December ” A December to Remember” team successfully completed a total of 2 hours at the children’s home. We spend time with them on 31 of December. It was an excellent opportunity for both them and, they had a chance to enjoy and spend time with Gampaha metro Leos 17
July AugusT September October November December January February March April LEO OF THE MONTH 18
EDITOR'S NOTE “You're the creator of your own future. Get to writing.” ― Ashley Brooke Robbins When managing complexities of life, the core of our individual personality gets stronger day by day. Maybe a couple of words would help you to reach higher in your life. But when it comes to the power of ideas, a pen is stronger than a sword. Building on this legacy, this issue highlights the continued administrative excellence of our club. As the Chief Editor and Designer, I would like to say, this is an output of the inspired work by a strong team. “Voice of Leos” is one of the energetic and informational newsletters in Sri Lankan Leoism. Here we have shared many updated news in the modern world to make our readers comfortable with this revolutionary civilization day by day. Volunteering is mainly serving the beneficiaries where they need. Without any single penny, volunteers serve the world. Here we have analysed the ordinance to make a productive output. Identifying the market sector is one of the main achievements in the communication sector. n the field of media and publicity, revolutionary ideas by leading thinkers make an impact on the future of leoism. We warmly welcome not only for Leos, but for non-leos to be aware of the world. Since 2019-20, Leos of Gampaha metro are in a process of continuing the social work for the community. Through “Voice of Leos”, we showcase the outstanding performances of club activities, and we give opportunities to the Leos of Sri Lanka & Maldives to share their hidden talents. We call this a knowledge hub, because we have thought on many sides of human personality that we can improve. Creativity, innovations, logical thinking and critical thinking platforms, service project updates to keep the public community aware and many more areas, have made the newsletter valuable and important. Because of the quality of our newsletter, the club has brightened our name on the top of newsletter teams. We prefer the quality first. If someone asks about the success stories of newsletter teams, yes; the quality and standard have allowed us to complete the core facts of the objectives. We kindly request our beloved readers to get in touch with us to learn more. Learn more; Lead more. Thank you. Leo Nimasha Jayakody FLM Head of Newsletter Team Chief Editor and Designer - Voice of Leos 19
Signing Off! Leo Nimasha Jayakody FLM Head of Voice of Leos Newsletter Team Chief Editor and Designer Leo Dakshana Salinda Senior Editor Leo Sandavie Dilanya Senior Editor Leo Sanara Ganegoda Editor Leo Lakshan Jayawardena Editor Leo Dinara Junali Editor Leo Rochelle Shahali Editor Leo Sanara Ganegoda Editor Sig nin g o ff fro m t h e p o sitio n s o f 2 0 2 2 / 2 3 "V OIC E O F L E O S" O fficial N e w sle t t er o f L e o Clu b o f G a m p a h a M e tro. 20
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER LEO CLUB OF GAMPAHA METRO VOLUME 04