Strengthening our nation to be “De-COVID” – Suwa Diriya 2021

“When will this pandemic end?”

No doubt that it is a question that we all always ask secretively from ourselves during these difficult times. Yet, we all know that the answer will be vague. One year has almost passed and the count from here onwards depends on the school of thought we choose to believe. either we overlook the risk thinking that nothing will change and never will since it is already one year, or we try a bit harder while going on with our lives believing that we will escape it very soon.

All in all, we know the latter will save many lives and will be the most sensible choice to save us. But constant self-discipline and the self-awareness of the best practises such as washing hands, using face protection, and maintaining distance play a major role in this trail.

Safety precautions will save us alone!?

Washing hands has become one of the famous topics during this pandemic time. Everyone is encouraged to wash their hands to stop the dangerous spread. 

For over a year we have been adhering to these practices for the sake of the safety of our nation. Though these were brought to notice with massive effort through awareness campaigns, it is now a part of our normal routine. Yet, in this day and age there lies a question of whether those best practises alone would be sufficient. The uninterrupted provision of necessary facilities to follow these practices, in the long run, is another aspect that needs our concern.

For a healthier tomorrow – Project Suwa Diriya

We as Rotaractors thought to address this with another step of our initiative “De-COVID”. Intending to provide adequate facilities to wash hands such as paddle sinks, especially in hospitals which are allocated to COVID-19 patients, the community service team of the Rotaract Club of Alumni of University of Moratuwa initiated a novel project by the name “Suwa Diriya” under the theme ‘For a healthier tomorrow’.

After careful consideration, Colombo East Base Hospital Mulleriyawa was chosen for the project after discussions with the hospital officials. Funding for the sinks was collected through donations from the public. A flyer series was shared informing about the project details and to collect donations. With the kind contribution of the many, we were able to build paddle sinks that were to be donated to the hospital. The donation session was conducted on the 20th February 2021, with the participation of the Deputy Director of the hospital and our fellow Rotaractors Rtr. Sudara, Rtr. Matheesha and Rtr. Malitha.

Project ‘Suwa Diriya’ was indeed a great step to stop the virus spread. The main reason behind the success of this project was the contribution of our beloved Rotaractors, their friends and family members. Thus, we extend our sincere gratitude to all those generous hands for making this endeavour a success.

Let us all strengthen our nation in this humanitarian battle to have a world free from COVID!

Written by: Rtr. Malitha Goonawardana

Edited by: Rtr. Sithmi Lawanga