07-30-2020-18.35.12

CONTENT

Editor’s Note 1

Message from District Rotaract Representative 2

Message from District Rotaract Representative Elect 3

Message from Immediate Past President - Rotaract Club of UOK 4

Message from President - Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya 5

Glimpse of 2020/21 - Throwback to past 6 months 6-8

10 fun facts about Rotaract 9

Improvements of RACUOK 10 - 11

One Rotaract Family 12 - 15

How much do you know about RACUOK? 16

)“TRACK THE SPREAD” - An initiative by Rotaract Club of UOK17 - 18

Christmas is Claus’ed for celebration! 19 - 20

What Rotaract is to me 21

Thoughts of a Cat on a Christmas Eve 22

My Rotaract experience? It’s life changing 23

Sinhala Poem 24

)Sea Savers 25

Editorial panel 26

Editor’s Note

Selecting a title for our year-end Rotaract magazine was not the most diffi-
cult task we were bestowed with, when the word ‘spectrum’ splashed into our
minds in an eye blink. Rotaract, for many decades has provided the youth
worldwide with a wide spectrum of opportunities to develop themselves as in-
dividuals and in return to contribute to the well-being of the society. Rotaract,
in my eyes, is similar to the spectrum of rainbow colours which makes every
rainy day a little brighter. As it is the seven colours of a rainbow that makes it
into a ‘rainbow’, Rotaract is all about the young, enthusiastic Rotaractors and
their unfading fellowship that makes them shine together.
This special issue of Spectrum is a flashback to the past six months of the
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya, abundant with many achievements
gained through collective effort. We have attempted through our year-end
magazine to capture all the successful milestones of this beautiful journey and
to provide you with a glimpse of our club and its dedicated membership.
The entire team of the Editorial joins me in wishing you all a Merry Christmas
and a wonderful new year ahead with Rotaract!

Rtr. Parami Ranasinghe
Senior Editor

01

Message from

District Rotaract

Representative

It is with my utmost pleasure that I pen this message
to the magazine “Spectrum” published by the Rota-
ract Club of University of Kelaniya.

Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya has always
been a club that I have trusted with a massive poten-
tial to be and do better throughout the years. Look-
ing at the growth of all the club initiatives, I should
definitely commend the efforts of our very own Rota-
ractors in University of Kelaniya for creating a huge
positive impact towards the communities in need as
well as for the stakeholders of the club.

With the current prevailing pandemic situation in
the country, we as a dynamic youth movement, as
well as the entire world in general, have been made
to rethink our areas of service towards our society.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new social
norm not only in its health implications, but also in
the restrictions of mobility for the public. In a situ-
ation as such, RACUOK has stood-tall as a set of passionate individuals who have come for-
ward with various innovative & creative initiatives to serve different spheres of the society.

I convey my heartiest wishes of congratulations to all the Rotaractors of RACUOK & I wish
the club all the very best with the release of the magazine “Spectrum” along with all the other
future endeavors of the club.

Rtn. Rtr. Kasun Sigera
District Rotaract Representative
Rotary International District 3220 - Sri Lanka & Maldives

02

Message from

District Rotaract

Representative Elect

The Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya has
always been in the forefront of service as well as
novel initiatives while producing some of the truly
dedicated and passionate Rotaractors to the commu-
nity. It is always a pleasure to see the various kinds
of initiatives the club has been able to successfully
launch and especially during these trying times.
While a whole world is affected with a pandemic that
put the entire world on a stand-still for a moment at
one time, the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya
was able to initiate a great effort towards supporting
the national efforts of containing and controlling the
spread of the disease. This is what is expected of a
Rotaract Club and its multi-talented set of members
along with the appreciable leadership in a time of
need like this; to support and uplift the communities
around them.

While the club does its fair part in serving the com-
munity with a wide variety of service initiatives, it
has not failed to produce some of the most passionate and dedicated members the movement
has ever seen over the many years of its existence. The skills, knowledge and experience
members of the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya possess with regards to various as-
pects is definitely enthralling.

It is with great pleasure and honour, that I write this message for the Spectrum magazine
published by the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya. I would like to wish the club and its
dedicated group of members all the very best for your future endeavors within the club, Uni-
versity education as well as your careers.

Rtn. Rtr. PP Akhila Adishwara
District Rotaract Representative Elect
Rotary International District 3220 - Sri Lanka & Maldives

03

Message from

Immediate Past President

Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya

It is with great pleasure that I am writing this mes-
sage to the Magazine of the Rotaract Club of Uni-
versity of Kelaniya.From my journey as a member
to District Initiative Coordinator to President to
now Immediate Past President, this club has helped
me in becoming who I am now.
The Rotaract year 2020/21 has proved out to be
a significant and immense year as the Club has
received a lot of recognition halfway through the
year. The “Track the Spread” Initiative has become
Groundbreaking and is one of the key highlights
of the projects conducted by the club for the year
2020/21. Building on the momentum and cultural
change from the year 2019/20, it is very happy to
see the club on a fast-track road to greater success.
One key factor that should be highlighted is the
diversification of the Membership of the Club.
University of Kelaniya is home for more than 3000
Undergraduates with Faculties counting to 6. The

Membership of the Club is of 200+ with all Faculties represented except for Faculty of Med-
icine due to them being situated in Ragama. A Further strong point is the fact that the Board
of Directors represent at least one Director representing one Faculty. This highlight goes in
line with the District theme of “Striving as one” and is a prime example for the verse in the
Rotaract Song, “No matter the Creed or Culture”.
The Long-Term Strategic Plans implemented by President Nipuna and his Board of Directors
is highly commendable and I am happy to see the enthusiasm and commitment shown by the
Club Membership, especially the new recruits. The Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya
has become a beacon among the Institute based Clubs in Sri Lanka and is on the course of
becoming one of the best clubs in District 3220 within a matter of years.
I wish the current Executive Committee and the Board of Directors all the best in completing
the rest of the year. May you Dream of all the ways you can help your fellow man, Serve them
with all your heart and Relish on the accomplishments you achieved through your service.

Viva La Rotaract!

Rtr.IPP. Rivi Wijeratne
President 2019/20
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya

04

Message from

President

Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya

Rotaract year 2020/21 is a remarkable year to the
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya for many
reasons. The most outstanding projects of our club
including Snehadana, Down the Wicket, Clean
Hands, H.O.P.E, Genial and other wonderful projects
from all our avenues made this year a successful one.
Many innovative projects have been initiated this
year including Track the Spread, Agri-thon, Motivo
and RotaTomorrow. And it has been a remarkable
year for the editorial panel as well. Young individuals
have taken up the challenge of joining the editorial
panel and they have been contributing to this avenue
with great spirit. Because of this enthusiasm, our
official blog has become more active as it had never
been before. There are creative blog articles written
by these talented young individuals and their enthu-
siasm has resulted in attracting more readers to our
blog. So, in my view this Rotaract year has become a
wonderful year for the editorial avenue of RACUOK

without doubt.

When having a glance at this magazine, “Spectrum” launched by the editorial panel of the
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya, I feel humbly proud to see the potential of our edi-
torial panel. This magazine will be a milestone in the history of Rotaract Club of University
of Kelaniya because this will be a good platform for the young writers to show their talents
in the coming years as well. Rotaractors are a group of enthusiastic individuals who are
ready to take on responsibilities at any time.

I am thankful for the editorial panel of the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya for
building this platform for young writers of our club to build their self-confidence, creativ-
ity and many other skills needed to be a professional writer. I hope this magazine will be a
remarkable milestone in RACUOK history.

Rtr. Nipuna Rambukkanage
President 2020/21
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya

05

Glimpse of 2020/21

Throwback to past 6 months

With the mission of providing opportunity for the youth to enhance the knowledge and skills that will
assist them in personal development, to address the physical and social needs of their communities and to
promote better relationships amongst people worldwide through a framework of friendship, the Rotaract
Club of University of Kelaniya achieved many remarkable accomplishments in the year 2020.

• Génial of everyday essentials collected by the Rotarac-
tors was gifted to them and our Rotaractors also
joined hands in cleaning the entire premises prov-
ing the meaning of the word of humanity.

“To learn a language is to have one more window • Génial
from which to look at the world.” By remarking
the beginning of year 2020, the International “To learn a language is to have one more window
Service avenue of the Rotaract Club of University from which to look at the world.” By remarking
of Kelaniya organized a 4-day voyage on French the beginning of year 2020, the International
culture and language facilitated by Rtr. Punsi- Service avenue of the Rotaract Club of University
si Liyanage and a panel of native speakers who of Kelaniya organized a 4-day voyage on French
made our event more interesting and worthwhile. culture and language facilitated by Rtr. Punsi-
The participants were inspired to learn a modern
language which would be helpful for all of them in
the future.

•Rekawarana - 2020

“Wherever there is a human in need, there is an
opportunity for kindness and to make a differ-
ence.” Rekawarana is another productive initiative
by the Community Service avenue, chaired by Rtr.
Mahima Wijethunga under the guidance of the
Co-directors Rtr. Nethmi Fonseka and Rtr. Gim-
hani Rathnayake. A group of Rotaractors visited
YMBA Maharagama (the lodgings of the cancer
patients receiving medication from the Apeksha
hospital) on 30th of August 2020. A donation

06

si Liyanage and a panel of native speakers who of Badlapur industrial area to celebrate the World
made our event more interesting and worthwhile. Peace day. The session was conducted by the
The participants were inspired to learn a modern famous yoga instructor, motivator, Megha Kampli
language which would be helpful for all of them on the 21st of September via Zoom, virtually with
in the future. the participation of Rotaractors all over the world.

• Clean Hands • Snehadana –2020

With the pandemic situation of Covid-19, the Blessed is the society with elders. All the privileges
importance of personal hygiene has been empha- we are enjoying today were built upon their tears
sized as the best way of precaution. Therefore, and blood. Therefore, by fulfilling the responsi-
with the purpose of promoting personal hygien- bility of a grateful youth, the Community Service
ic practices in the community, the Community avenue organized the project Snehadana for the
Service avenue of the Rotaract Club of University second successive year on 1st of October to cele-
of Kelaniya initiated a project Clean Hands while brate the World Elders day. Snehadana was a meal
performing a social responsibility. Clean Hands distribution project among elderly people and our
was a sustainable water and sanitary solution project remarked its beginning from the Vihara-
oriented due to the lack of proper sanitary facili- mahadevi park in Colombo. All the tireless effort
ties in four schools. Eight high quality and durable of our Rotaractors was reflected in the sincere
paddling sinks were distributed to the selected smiles we saw on the faces of the people.
law facilitated schools in Colombo; Anuradha
Balika Vidhyalaya, Hemamali Balika Vidhyalaya, • Down the Wicket 2020
Mahabodhi Vidhyalaya, Viharamahadevi Balika
Vidyalaya.

• Aham Brahmasmi

Mental health needs a great deal of attention as Down the wicket was a one-day cricket match
same as we need physical exercises for our body. organized under the guidance of the avenue of
While considering mental health as a priority, Sports and Entertainment and it was held on the
to train the brain spiritually to achieve redemp- 19th of October 2020 at Saibe grounds in the
tion, the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya University of Kelaniya. Out of the 14 teams that
successfully organized Aham Brahmasmi the yoga participated, the Rotaract Club of SLIIT was able
session in collaboration with the Rotaract Club to win the championship and the team of Japura
Conquerors became the most popular cricket
team selected by an open vote through our official
facebook page. The Co-directors of Sports and En-
tertainment avenue Rtr. Rusira Samarasinghe and

07

Rtr. Kalani Rathnayake and other members of Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya has
the avenue are behind the successful completion organized a whole new series of productive and
of Down the Wicket organized for the second outstanding projects for the year 2020/21 during
successive year. a short period of six months since its installa-
tion, especially under the challenging situation of
• H.O.P.E. Covid-19. This will not be the end of our dream
to serve and relish, since there is a long line-up of
H.O.P.E. also known as Hold on Pain Ends is a ongoing projects organized by our Club, powered
project organized by the avenue of Community by the dedicated membership that we are blessed
Service to help everyone to solve the issues relat- with!
ed to mental health. The project continued under ~Rtr. Samadhi Wijethunga
two phases; a video series of the popular Sri Team Leader- Editorial Avenue
Lankan artists and public figures presenting their
thoughts and experiences on mental health and a
Creative Writing Competition followed by it. In
a world filled with never-ending challenges each
day, it is important that we pay more attention to
our mental well-being during these trying times
more than in any other time. The project was a
huge success with all the dedication and active
engagement of our Rotaractors.

• EQUAL

“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum
instead of two sets of opposing goals.” - Emma
Watson.
Gender equality has been negotiated within the
society widely. Realizing the importance of a
social discussion about gender equality Equal;
a panel discussion was organized to discuss the
issue of gender discrimination. The session was
held on the 14th of November 2020 via Facebook
Live with the participation of many Rotaractors
from all around the world with a well-known
board of panelists. This project was organized
under the guidance of the avenue of Community
Service and its co–directors Rtr. Nethmi Fonseka
and Rtr, Gimhani Rathnayake.
It is with humble pleasure that we write, the

08

10 fun facts about Rotaract

(1) What is the first Rotaract club in the world?
-Rotaract Club of North Charlotte, Carolina chartered - on March 13, 1968-

(2) What is the first Rotaract club of Sri Lanka?
-The Rotaract Club of Colombo –

(3) Who was the first District Rotaract Representative in Rotaract District 3220?
-Ruzly Hussain –

(4) The first Rotaract Lady District Representative is?
-Nishani Perera in 1997 -

(5) In which year did RID 3220 celebrate its 50-year milestone?
-2019 –

(6) In which year did Rotasia first took place in Rotaract District 3220?
- 2015 –

(7) Which club received the Rotaract outstanding project award – South Asia in 2016-
17?
- Rotaract Club of the University of Moratuwa for “Gramaprabhodaya “-

(8) Which club received the Rotaract outstanding project award – South Asia in 2018-
19?
- Rotaract Club of the University of Moratuwa for “Zooxanthellae”-

(9) Which project got recognized as the best service project at the Rotaract South Asia
MDIO Awards 2019-20?
- e-Mithudama by Rotaract Club of Informatics Institute of Technology-

(10) The international, single-club Rotaract Outstanding Project Award for the year
2019-20 went to?
-Horowpothana Sustainable Village by Rotaract club of Colombo Central

Source : Rtr. Nabil Shafaz – Former Director - 50 year’s celebration of Rotaract SL,RID
3220

09

Improvements This salient stratagem resulted in the
admirable progress among the augmentation of 157 subscriptions
of other Rotaract communities. in a short period of time, recogniz-
The website of the Rotaract club ing the success of the club initiatives.
of University of Kelaniya was Thus, in the future our determina-
RACUOK introduced for the first time at tion is to promote all the upcoming
the 11th installation ceremony projects and events through You Tube
Necessary information featuring held on the 07th August 2020 which will undoubtedly be a great
making that day memorable platform to showcase the talents and
all the club avenues. Interesting- commendable dedications of Rota-
ly, the Rotaract blog which was ractors. It is with great pleasure that
previously monitored as a sepa-
rate section was embedded in the we announce that the preparations
newly formulated website enabling are already under way to introduce
An improvement is vital for a club our forthcoming Christmas project
in attaining flexibility, receptive- Jingle Melodies on You Tube, wishing
ness and the capacity to adopt everyone a sparkling Christmas.
fast to changes of the society. The Facebook being the most popular
Rotaract Club of University of Ke- social media platform of the youth,
laniya embellished its excellence the Rotaract club of University of
along with a number of milestone Kelaniya made required modifica-
projects over the crucial year of tions to gain a larger audience. The
2020 highlighting some victorious enthralling projects such as Down
master strokes. The outstanding to our fellow Rotaractors. The the Wicket and the creative writing
commitment, courage and de- website was creatively designed competition H.O.P.E organized by the
termination of the Rotaractors with users the comfortable and avenues of Sports & Entertainment
proved all that the motto of the rapid access. and Community Service respectively,
resulted in the strong enhancement
club itself Dream, Serve, Relish The creation of the You Tube of Facebook likes from 5607 to 6664
is not just a set of words but an channel is another striking according to this year’s statistics.
absolute reality displaying their accomplishment of our club on The President, the Executive Board,
mutual understanding, respect the 21st April 2018 spotlighting the Avenue Directors as well as the
and friendship. the video Thambapanni. At the organizing committees deserve to be
Throughout this spectacular Ro- debut, although the channel only applauded for their creative strategies
taract journey, the Rotaract Club obtained a minor subscription of widening the scope of the Face-
of University of Kelaniya obtained of 16, it flourished distinctively book audience.

greater appreciation through a se- in the term of 20/21 with up- The official blog of the Rotaract club
ries of improvements assuring its loads of 28 videos altogether. of University of Kelaniya acquired
extraordinary apprehension by the
10 22nd of October 2020 reaching up to
3104 views through descriptive arti-

up their vails in the country due the COVID
soft skills – 19 pandemic their unity under the
through treasured guidance and leadership of
teamwork the President Rtr. Nipuna Rambuk-
and gain kanage, the Executive Committee
necessary and the Board of Directors validate
experiences the statement,
as future
leaders. The Unity is strength…. when
purpose of there is teamwork and collaboration,
Rota To- wonderful things can be achieved -
morrow is Mattie Stepanek
to provide Dream, Strive, Relish.
an opportu- Viva la Rotaract!!!
nity for our Rtr. Sarani Ayodya Halloluwa
members to
cles on all the projects initiated by become more familiar with the
the club along with creative write club body and peers.
ups. It is quite unquestionable In sooth, they are to be ad-
to denote that the Rotaract blog mired, recognized and valued,
is indeed a haven of knowledge
which facilitates our fellow read- the Rotaractors of the Universi-
ers to expand their intellectuality. ty of Kelaniya for their supreme
Furthermore, it provides greater commitment to reach the
opportunities for Rotaractors to pinnacle of success. Despite the
enhance their creativity in ex- catastrophic situation that pre-
pressing their unique ideas that
are supervised by the well-orga- 11
nized Editorial avenue of the club.
It is quite admirable that their
dedication to maintain the quality
of the blog and its frequency of
publishing the creations demon-
strates the exceptional team spirit.
‘Rota Tomorrow’ is a novel project
initiated under the guidance of
the avenue of Member Relations
on the theme, ‘Teamwork makes
the dream work! Since Rota To-
morrow is open for all the mem-
bers of the Rotaract Club of Uni-
versity of Kelaniya, members are
encouraged
to present
their bril-
liant project
ideas as a
team, under
ten catego-
ries, which
as a result
would
provide the
members
to shape

One Rotaract Family

When a fellowship dreams of serving the community, engaging in the act of serving the community, it could

be considered the victory for such a fellowship. The Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya, under the motto
‘Dream, Serve, Relish’ has served the community throughout years.
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya not just focuses on community services, but also, focuses on devel-
oping professional skills, enhancing sports and entertainment skills, and creating opportunities to showcase
writing skills of the members. This is where the fellow rotaractors receive the opportunity to get along with
each other, in order to achieve their targets as a group, which would play a great platform to enhance their soft
skills including teamwork, flexibility, management skills, communication skills, leadership qualities etc., and it
would be a fine example to define ‘fellowship in rotaract’

‘Inception 2020’
The Orientation for the Year 2020/21

As mentioned earlier, rotaract

is not just about community
services, it is also a great plat-
form to enhance an individual’s
soft skills. Emphasizing this
idea, ‘Leap’, IT awareness pro-
gramme was initiated in order
to aid the fellow rotaractors,
including the board of directors
by improving their technologi-
cal knowledge and skills.
The session which was conduct-
ed on 09th of September 2020,
at the ICT center of University
of Kelaniya, by the Director
of Digital Media, Rtr. Supun
Viduranga. During the pro-
gramme, the topics including
hosting and handling Google
and Zoom meets, creating and
editing Google forms, creation
of reports with Google Docs
and MS Office, how to create
simple flyers and projects using Canva and easy tips to share google drive files with different users were dis-
cussed. It was indeed a highly valuable opportunity for the fellow rotaractors to improve their IT skills

12

1. ‘Leap’ – Leadership training Program

As mentioned earlier, rotaract is not just about
community services, it is also a great platform to
enhance an individual’s soft skills. Emphasizing
this idea, ‘Leap’, IT awareness programme was
initiated in order to aid the fellow rotaractors, in-
cluding the board of directors by improving their
technological knowledge and skills.
The session which was conducted on 09th of
September 2020, at the ICT center of University of
Kelaniya, by the Director of Digital Media, Rtr. Su-
pun Viduranga. During the programme, the topics
including hosting and handling Google and Zoom
meets, creating and editing Google forms, creation of reports with Google Docs and MS Office, how
to create simple flyers and projects using Canva and easy tips to share google drive files with different
users were discussed. It was indeed a highly valuable opportunity for the fellow rotaractors to improve
their IT skills.

2. Down the Wicket 2020

Rotaract paves the path to enhance an individual’s skills in
many ways. Iterating this objective, ‘Down the Wicket 2020’-
the one day cricket tournament organized by the Sports and
Entertainment Avenue for the second successive year, under
the guidance of the Co-Directors of the avenue, Rtr. Rusira
Samarasinghe and Rtr.Kalani Perera was held on the 19th of
September at Saibe Grounds of the University of Kelaniya.
An enthusiastic participation from the fellowship could be
witnessed as 14 teams participated representing many Rot-
aract Clubs. Not only the talented players, but also the lively
audience made it furthermore interesting to witness a fair game of fellowship. While the Rotaract
Club of SLIIT won the championship, the team: Japura
Conquerors became the most popular team, selected by a
fair and open vote through the official Facebook page of
Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya.
Regardless of victory and defeat, the experiences gained
through sportsmanship could be considered the most
valuable outcome for the fellowship, which once again
proved that, at the end of the day it is ‘one rotaract family’

13

3. Monthly General Meetings

Physical Meetings: This is one of the occasions for the fellow
members to interact with each other, since every fellow rota-
ractor of the club is requested to participate in monthly general
meetings. The initial physical meeting for the year 2020/21 was
held on 16th of September 2020, at 4.00 P.M at the K14 hall of
the Faculty of Humanities with the presence of more than one
hundred fellow rotaractors, including newly joined members.
After the completion of formalities, a brief summary of on-
going projects and the projects to be conducted in future was
presented by the directors of each respective avenue. Then,
members of the month, most enthusiastic members of the
month and the directors of the month were introduced, where
they were highly appreciated for their contribution towards the club and the society.
After that, the President, Rtr.Nipuna Rambukkanage informed the members about the new Rotaract
policies. Assistant Secretary, Rtr.Avisha Malalarathne read the new Rotaract by-laws and a vote was
taken to confirm the agreement between the members to implement the new policies from the next
year onwards.
Due to the situation which was prevailing, much attention was not given to physical activities which
would let the fellow rotaractors to be engaged in entertaining activities and interact with each oth-
er, but, they were engaged in such entertaining activities during past monthly general meetings with
much enthusiasm, which would be continued in the upcoming meetings once the prevailing situation
becomes better.

Birthday celebration at the monthly general meeting of
November 2019

Fellow rotaractors engaged in a fun game at the monthly
general meeting of October 2019

Online Meetings: Even if the physical meetings could not be arranged, the monthly general meetings
for the months of August, October and November were held virtually via Google Meet in a successful
manner.

14

4. Fellowship Visits – Wayamba Province

‘Rotaract Fellowship visits’ initially known as ‘Rotaract Road trips’ was a concept initiated by the club
service avenue of the district steering committee, which would grant the fellowship innumerable won-
derful memories to be preserved throughout lifetime. ‘Wayamba Fellowship Visit’ had been conducted
on 5th of September 2020 with the participation of more than two hundred fellow rotaract members
representing many rotaract clubs .The most interesting part of the visit had happened even before the
journey was started. The fellow rotaractors representing different rotaract clubs across the country
were shuffled before the four buses taking them departed for Kuliyapitiya at 6.00 a.m., which paved
them a a way to create new friendships.
The 2nd Installation Ceremony of Wayamba University of Sri Lanka

The first stop of the fellowship visit was at the Wayamba
University of Sri Lanka, Kuliyapitiya, where Rtr. Kumuthu
Wijayasuriya and her board of directors were inducted
before the adjournment of the proceedings. Since its
inception, the club had expanded its membership beyond
the Faculty of Medicine.
Joint Installation Ceremonies of Rotaract Club of Kurunegala and Rotaract Club of Athugalpura

The second phase of the fellowship visit was held at the Hotel Blue Sky, Kurunegala where joint instal-
lations of the rotaract Club of Kurunegala and Rotaract Club of Athugalpura were held. It was the 6th
Installation Ceremony of the Rotaract Club of Kurunegala where Rtr. Pabasara Bandara and his board
of directors were inducted as well as the 2nd Installation Ceremony of the Rotaract Club of Athugalpu-
ra where Rtr. Amanda Embogama and her board of directors were inducted.

The 2nd Installation Ceremony of Rotaract Club of
Athugalpura

The 6th Installation Ceremony of Rotaract Club of
Kurunegala

On completion of formalities, the most exciting session of the ceremony, the after party began, where
the fellow rotaractors were much entertained and danced their night away. After such a well-organized
tremendous event, the fellow rotaractors had to bid good bye to each other with the hope of meeting
again at another fellowship visit to strengthen their bonds within the family of rotaract.
Written by: Yashodya Bandaranayake

15

How much do you

know about

RACUOK? Send us your [email protected]

Across Down
1.It is a platform, which aims to empower unique 1.It is a seasonal singing competition presented by
ideas and entrepreneurs. RACUOK.
3.This is the mostly practiced habit during the 2.It stands for Rotaract Gaming Server.
Covid-19 period and also the name of a project 4.This word relates to a mental health awareness
conducted by RACUOK. program organized by the Community Service
4.It is a project which was organized to raise avenue of our club.
awareness about mental health by the avenue of 7. An individual who creates a new business,
Community Service. bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the
5.It is a series of member motivation held recently rewards called by this name.
by our club. 12.It is a webinar series about cybercrimes and
6.It is the part of the name of a software which cyber threats management in Sri Lanka
helps to monitor the Covid-19 affected areas, de- 13.The Green Legacy Insight project has consid-
veloped by RACUOK. ered about the protection of this animal.
9.It comes from the words “senescence” and “ de- 14.It’s a name of a quiz series held in covid-19
stroying” which relates to class of small molecules. period by Rotaract.
10.This relates to panel discussion program on 15.It is a platform created by our club to showcase
gender discrimination. the dancing talents and to break away from the
11.This is a virtual platform for university students monotony of academics.
to showcase their aesthetic talents. 17.It is a name of a festive craft competition orga-
nized by RACUOK.
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“TRACK THE SPREAD”

AN INITIATIVE BY THE ROTARACT CLUB OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF KELANIYA

“Covid-19” is the most popular topic of the time. The virus first appeared in China and later spread
around the globe within a matter of a few months. Most countries lost control and even the countries
that had a good control of the virus in the beginning, including Sri Lanka, has found it difficult to main-
tain it as it is highly contagious and because there is no proper medication for those affected by the virus

yet.
There are many practical difficulties when main-
taining a track record of the patients and the
persons who have been in close contact with the
patients. Currently, when a person is advised by the
health officials to spend a quarantined period, Pub-
lic Health Inspectors monitor these people who are
under quarantine by visiting them frequently, but
this process of visiting patients exposes the PHIs to
the virus who in turn may spread it to the hundreds
of people they visit.

The Rotaractors of the university of Kelaniya led by the project chairpersons; Rtr. Nipuna Rambuk-
kanage, Rtr. Chinthaka Kasun and Rtr. Nethmi Fonseka have come up with a solution for these prob-
lems; an app which can be used as an advanced Covid-19 patient tracking system named, “Track the
Spread”. This app uses geolocation capturing, movement tracking and many more advanced technologies
to monitor the movements of
those exposed to the virus in a
much efficient manner. They’ve
joined hands with several talent-
ed web-developers, the Rotaract
District 3220, the Rotary District
3220 and several health-related
authorities in the development of
this project. They are currently
hoping to launch this application
to the public, presenting this mo-
bile application to the government free-of-charge as a service rendered towards the whole community.
“If the government can use this software system to track the spread of Covid-19 in our country, lots of

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lives can be saved and we will be able to stop this pandemic” – Amesh Madhubhashitha Jayaweera (Lead
developer – “Track the Spread”)
We are so proud as a club to announce that Track the spread has gained national level recognition and sup-
port. Our next step is to launch the pilot project and our team is working on achieving that milestone too.
Team : Nipuna Rambukkanage, Chinthaka Kasun, Nethmi Fonseka, Rajika Upasena, Amesh Madhub-

hashitha Jayaweera, Ruwin Ratnayake, Kisal Ekanayake, Sahan Silva, Nipuna Ratnayake, Isuri Sasanika
Gunatilake, Sahan Amarsha, Pulsara Sandeepa, Dikmadugodage Pasindu Chinthana, Hiruni Chamodika
Samaranayaka, Praneeth Vithanage, R.P.T.A. Randeni,Anushika Nethsara Samarakoon
Written by : Verosha Abeygoonewardena

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Christmas is Claus’ed
for

Celebration!

Christmas (pronounced kri-smuhs) is a festival celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ that embraces the bliss
of exchanging inestimable gifts and accommodating wonderful company. It kindles the spirit of togeth-
erness filled with wonderful memories and celebrates eternal bonds. In ancient history before the birth of
Jesus Christ, Christmas was observed as Yule, the feast of winter solstice – a day that marks the fewest hours
of daylight in the year and denotes the beginning of astronomical winter. Despite its biblical origin, Christ-
mas has transformed into a holiday that has been observed by Christians and Non-Christians alike. Christ-
mas makes us reflect upon the past year and be hopeful for the upcoming year.
To uphold the spirit of Christmas, the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya has taken colossal steps in the

past and present with hopes to carry the Christmas bliss into the future.
In the year 2017, our project Santa Express – a visit to meet the brave kids at the play house of Apeksha
Hospital, Maharagama was organized with the aim to spread glitter and glow of hope.
In the year 2018, the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya joined hands with the Rotaract Club of Co-
lombo Uptown to organize Christmas Cheers – a visit to the St. Camillus Home for Elders to spread love
and happiness during idyllic times. The focal component of the day was the fruitful completion of the en-
tertaining activities including singing, dancing, interactive speech sessions, sharing of heartfelt stories and
most importantly the exchange of gifts. The smiles that spread across the faces of every single person in the
Elder’s house made our effort worthwhile.
The 31st of December 2019 was quite distinctive in the Rotaract year because in a stark contrast to what the
day stands for, the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya celebrated Christmas on the very same day. Jin-
gle Eve was an event to spread love, happiness and positivity amongst everyone. The evening was filled with

19

laughter, smiles and euphonious Christmas Carols. The 31st only meant that accommodating a DJ was beyond
questioning. Jingle Eve had participation of Rotaractors, Undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya, friends

of Rotaract and friends in Rotaract.
The Christmas Carols provided an
opportunity to ignite the concealed
talents of our very own Rotaractors
as they sang in melodious harmony
and composed contemporary mu-
sic. Jingle Eve was further coloured
by the guest appearance of Santa
Claus and his bag of goodies. Like
any old Christmas tradition, the
event also had the exchange of Se-
cret Santa gifts and the Rotaractors
miraculously managed to keep their
fellow giftees undisclosed without
even casting a shadow of doubt. The
next few hours were dedicated to
the DJ who managed to maintain a
high volume, fast paced session to keep all our dancers moving fast on their feet.

After a tough year of battling losses, many people are anxious to get together during this festive season. In
a year of unexpected challenges, there’s one thing that remains unchanged – the will to endorse the spirit of
Christmas.
The coronavirus pandemic may have imposed a strict lockdown and restricted loved ones of free movement.
This means that the Christmas celebrations require change. Bearing the implication in mind, the Rotaract
Club of University of Kelaniya along with the Interact Club of Maliyadeva College initiated a novel project for
Christmas 2020 titled Santa’s Elves. In line with festive joy, Santa’s Elves is a craft competition that challenges
ordinary intellect and celebrates re-
sourceful creativity. It requires a different
approach from all crafters as the artist-
ries should be made with scrapings and
shards found in waste.
Because 2020 requires more celebrations
than ever before, the Rotaract Club of
University of Kelaniya also organized
Jingle Melodies – a Christmas Singing
Competition. Songs are one of the best
ways to express the divine message of
Christmas and communicate emotions
like Joy, Peace and Prosperity in a suc-
cessful manner. Jingle Melodies will
provide a platform to broadcast vocalists while increasing their reach and popularity.
Christmas initiatives organized by our club relate to the central essence of Rotaract “Service above Self ” and
often reminds us of the capability of spreading more love and happiness all around the world.

~Rtr. Famidha Faiz

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What Rotaract is to me

Art by : Rtr.Dinithi Lorensuhewa
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Thoughts of a Cat on a Christmas
Eve

“This year
has been strange!”
Thought the tabby cat
At its wit’s end.
“The humans,
they never leave!
They do nothing,
they just clean!”
“And all of this,
Has added to my rage
‘cause they’re always in the house
always in my range!”

And what’s even more strange?
There was no Christmas Tree,
Not in any place,
with his cat eyes he could see.
“No Christmas trees?
No Christmas this year?
Won’t there be any treats?”
The cat pondered in fear.

He checked everywhere
but it was all in vain.
So, he fell asleep on the stairs
thinking, “I’ll sleep away the pain.”
And on the Christmas Eve,
The cat woke up to a rustle.
He could not believe his view
as his eyes grew wide; puzzled.
A tiny, plastic Christmas Tree,
stood in the living room,
plugged to a wall socket,
glowing in the gloom.
“It’s not like as it used to be”
Thought the cat, “but Christmas is here,
Maybe it isn’t about gifts or trees,
Maybe it’s something we feel!”

Rtr. THUSHAN WICKRAMARATHNE
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MY ROTARACT EXPERIENCE?
IT’S LIFE CHANGING

If I was asked to share my experience in Rotaract, I would probably choose
life-changing.

When I first came to university, it was all new for me. Being an introvert and
a naturally shy person, not being able to express myself perfectly, starting an
independent life was difficult for me. To make my university life more excit-
ing I wanted to join as many clubs as possible. That is how I ended up being
a part of Rotaract.

So what did I actually do? Here’s a short list:

● Contributed to the club as a member
● Joined as many projects as I could
● Became a team leader
● And currently a project chairperson

But still, why did I choose the word life changing?

During these years in Rotaract, I have become much more confident and
open-minded, developed my public speaking and presentation skills signifi-
cantly. I learned from my own mistakes about how to lead a team and what
motivates people, and built a strong network of incredible people. Most im-
portantly, I had lots of fun while doing all of that. And that is exactly why this
experience in Rotaract was completely necessary for me to become the person
I am right now.

Rotaract gives you multiple opportunities for you to develop your skills, meet
new people and learn much more, if only you decide to take them.

Grab the opportunity and change your life.

Rtr.Jayani Navodha

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24

Sea Savers

By : Rtr.W. W. A. Piumi Hansika Fernando (PD Avenue)
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Editorial panel

SENIOR EDITOR JUNIR EDITOR

Rtr. Parami Jagadakshi Rtr. Isuri Gunatilake Rtr. Isuru Dissanayake

CONTENT WRITERS

Rtr. Dinithi Rtr. Famidha Faiz Rtr. Fathima Rifka Rtr. Harsha Rtr. Isanka Yesmi
Randeniarachchi Maduwanthi

Rtr. Kaveesha de Rtr. Manula Rtr. Samadhi Rtr. Sarani Rtr. Verosha Abey-
Silva Pethiyagoda Wijethunga Ayodya Halloluwa goonewardena

Rtr. Vimansa Rtr. Yashodya Rtr. Anuradha Rtr. Kulesha Rtr. Kumuthu
Dilshani Bandaranayake Weerakkody Rashmini Wijerathne

DESIGNER

Rtr.Nethmini Rtr. Nirmani Rtr. Dulanjaya
Bandara Jayawardena Munasinghe

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