Have you ever watched “Master Chef”? Such was the experience the team of Cluster 05 wanted to recreate for our energetic Rotaractors in the Rotaract District . After more than three months of planning, the organizing committee was able to make that dream true by pulling off an amazing day while have fun with cooking. 

On the 16^th of February Rotaractors from all 10 clubs of the Cluster 05 alongside with Rotaractors from the district gathered at Beach House Bistro in Dehiwala area for a next levelled experience in cooking while celebrating fellowship. Even our friends from Jaffna, Katugastota and Rathnapura participated for this event disregarding distances and travel fatigues and that. The registration started quite early that Sunday morning. All the participants were divided into six groups. These teams consisted of members from different clubs. Therefore, organizers wanted to do some team building games before the cook-off start.

The day was stared with the game “The longest Line” where each team was asked to make the longest line using items that they had with them in that very moment within 5 minutes. This challenge was fun to watch, and participants were creative enough to use shoelaces, belts, shoes and some even decided to take their shirts off. Even though several teams used this clothes trick of extending their line, team Guardian of the Roti triumphed the challenge without needing to do so. (Of course I’m not sharing winning secrets in blogs okay ?).

After this game teams were given several characters to dress up. They were provided with newspapers, toilet paper and cello tape to dress one of their teammates. The teams got around 20 minutes to make these characters. There were some interesting characters like Daphne, Adolf Hitler, Sherlock Holmes and Batman. After dressing up there was a pageant show and everyone else had a great time trying to identify those characters. After that there were several other team building activities like human knot as well.

After lunch final team building activity “Mad Libs” started. There were some interesting word dialogues created randomly. This event flew to the next level because one script accidently (and very innocently) was created with the names Bala and Mano. Our own DRR Krishan Balaji and peer president Rtr. Mano were at the event, hence everyone wanted them to act this script. It was a fun act featuring Inspector Bala with Mano the Suspect. Everyone had had a good laugh with this activity.

Finally, the most awaited segment of the day started. Rtr. Methmini, the main organizer of the event briefed about the cook-off. Each team got the required equipment and ingredients to create “Coconut Roti” and “Lunu Miris”. Teams had to build their own fireplace with bricks and wood. Creating fire with the breezy wind from the Indian Ocean was the biggest challenge for all the teams. Somehow every team manage to overcome it. Even though we had to make “Coconut Roti”, teams were not provided with coconut scrapers. They had to use forks to scrape coconuts and use it make roti. Teams were given one hour to cook and decorate the presentation of roti and lunu miris.

All six teams were able to make a exquisite roti and lunu miris dishes with the given time. Then the tasting and the judging commenced. The judging panel consisted of three experienced food lovers namely DRR Elect Rtr. Kasun, ADRR Rtr. Afraa and District PR Director Rtr. Anjana. Teams presented their amazing dishes to the judges. One team created a soup as well using the ingredients provided. Judges gave their comments to the Rotaract chefs who worked tirelessly to create an amazing Pol Roti. Surprisingly some had their first cooking experience during this event.  

After than Rtr. Haadiya gave a vote of thanks and invited Rtr. Methmini to announce the winners. Finally, Rtr. Methmini announced the winner of the Rotaract Cook off and the Overall Winners. The team Guardians of the Roti able to win the both awards (actually two boxes of chocolates) and we were crowned as the Overall champions of the day.

After taking group pictures and selfies, we all Rotaractors signed off for the day, making new friendships while gaining new experiences.

Rtr. Hasitha Prashan

Celebrating the successful mission of Rotary International of eradicating Polio from Sri Lanka and spreading awareness to not to let rise again, this year Rotary Sri Lanka organized the Rotary Intercity Meeting followed by a Polio Parade with Classic Cars and a Carnival on the 26th of October. The main theme of the event is “Keeping Sri Lanka Polio Free” partnering with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, and UNICEF.

The main focus of the event was to spread awareness to the general public. The Parade commenced from the Sri Lanka Foundation road, then passing racecourse grounds to Thummulla Junction, changing the direction from there towards Colombo campus, Nelum Pokuna and ending the walk at Green path next to Viharamahadevi park. The head of the parade was full of Classic Cars followed by the walkers. There was a massive number of participants consisting of Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and the general public. Many were wearing the official event T-shirt and holding club names and polio awareness signboards. ‘Papare bands’ in the middle helped to reduce the fatigue from walking.

Ending the parade began the carnival. At first sight after entering the green path, was a stage with a band followed by food stalls installed at both sides of the path selling varieties of food items.

Rotaract Club of Alumni University of Moratuwa had the pleasure of par ticipating in this wonderful cause. Holding hands with other clubs Alumni Mora celebrated the event with happy minds.

By: Rtr. Madara Polgampola

The second edition of the Rotaract Road Trips organized by the club service team of the Rotaract District 3220 redefining the friendship with the Rotaractors in the Nothern Zone. More than 60 Rotaractors gathered in front of the Racecourse on 12th September 2019. Two luxury buses were arranged for the journey. Rotaractors from the Kandy Zone also joined us on our way to Jaffna. 

The bus ride was a sleepless one for most of us because of the singing and dancing by our fellow Rotaractors. We arrived in Jaffna after a 10–hour long journey and checked in to the two hotels after having breakfast. Then all the Rotaractors got together to visit the first destination of the tour. “Nagadeepaya” is a small island situated in the Indian Ocean and well known for the temple where Lord Buddha visited the site to resolve the dispute between two warring Naga kings, Chulodara and Mahodara. After 15 minutes of a thrilling boat ride, we reached Nagadeepaya. After sightseeing Nagadeepa Viharaya and Nagapooshani Amman Temple we had an ice cream treat from one of our own presidents on the way back. The return journey back to Jaffna was another amazing experience for the Rotaractors who were able to get the front seats of the “Mani Nagadeepa” luxury boat.  

Since everyone was full and not interested in lunch, we skipped the first-day lunch and went to Casurina Beach, one of the famous beaches in Jaffna. On the way to Casurina beach, we received refreshments from the Navy camp thanks to Rtr. Thanuja. Then we participated in the beach cleanup project “Together We Save” organized by the RAC Colombo Midtown, RAC Colombo West, RAC FMF UoC, RAC American National College, RAC Chullipuram, RAC Chunnakkam, RAC Kandy, RAC Nallur Heritage, and RAC IIT. After attending this worthy cause, we jumped into the sea around 6 pm after officially closing the Casurina beach event. We returned to hotels after having dinner at Jaffna town. Day one ended with an unplanned Baila night by the fellow Rotaractors.  

The second day of the Jaffna tour started around 8 in the morning and we had our breakfast at Ammachchi; a food stall similar to Hela Bojun in Down south. We Rotaractors were able to taste authentic Jaffna food for a reasonable price and no one wanted to leave that place soon. Therefore, we were late to the District Council Meeting as well. After having breakfast, we came to YMCA hall for the DCM for the month of September hosted by the Nothern Zonal Rotaract clubs. 

After the DCM we visited Jaffna Fort. After spending around one hour at Jaffna Fort we planned to visit the Nallur Kovil. But unfortunately, it was closed so we were able to see it just from the outside. Most of the Rotaractors were disappointed because they missed the chance to go inside the Kovil. But then, we went for the most interesting activity which was to taste some ice cream at Rio. If you are visiting Jaffna, you should not miss tasting ice cream from this amazing place. After having lunch, we came back to the hotels and got ready to go to Kankasanthurei (KKS).  

All the Rotaractors had an amazing time at KKS beach. Girls got a special swimming training from Rtr. Rivi from the University of Kelaniya while some other Rotaractors specially Rtr. Keeth from ACBT had water swings from the bunch of Rotaractors. After enjoying the sea bath, we left KKS beach and gathered at the Gajas restaurant for dinner. The second day of the RRT 2.0 ended with late-night song sessions and friendly card games. 

The third and final day of the day was full of installation ceremonies of the Rotaract clubs in the northern zone. After having breakfast, we directly went to Krishna Mahal, Chankanai for the joint installation ceremony of RAC Jaffna Peninsula, RAC Nallur Heritage and RAC Chullipuram. These installations were special to most of us because Rotaractors were able to do their felicitations in Tamil for the first time in their lives. Even DRR Rtr. PP. Balaji got the opportunity to deliver a speech in Tamil for the first time during this installation ceremony. So, it was a memorable one for most of us.  

After having lunch at Krishna Mahal, Chankanai we relaxed for a few hours, roaming around the area until the second joint installation started. Finally, we participated in the joint installation ceremony of RAC Jaffna and RAC Jaffna Midtown. At the end of this installation, an unexpected birthday celebration has been organized by the club service team for the Rotaractors celebrating their birthdays on the month of September. After clicking a group photograph, we left Jaffna around 5.30 in the evening saying goodbye to our Nothern friends. 

The bus ride was a sleepless one for most of the Rotaractors because of the paparazzi who were eagerly waiting to capture photos of the fellow Rotaractors sleeping; specially Rtr. Faiz from J’pura. Due to these paparazzi, entire WhatsApp groups were full of sleeping beauties and unfortunately, no one was able to hide their faces from these photographers. We came back to Colombo after another 10-hour journey on the early morning of 16th September, cherishing three days full of fun, friendship, and memories. Rotaract Road Trips gave us the opportunity to expand our Rotaract friendship while gaining so many new memories and fun times with fellow Rotaractors. Waiting for the next episode of Rotaract Road Trips – the visit to the hill country at the beginning of October.

By: Rtr. Hasitha Prashan

Rotaract Road Trips (RRT) is a novel concept introduced by the club service team of the Rotaract District 3220 this year to make the Rotaract Zonal visits more exciting for the Rotaractors. The first edition of the RRT was organized to visit the Kurunegala area. Nearly 80 Rotaractors gathered in front of the Racecourse on 18th August 2019 early in the morning. Two buses were arranged for the journey and all Rotaractors were divided into two groups.  After having breakfast on the way to Kurunegala, we reached the Hotel Blue Sky, Kurunegala for the first session of the day. 

The District Council Meeting (DCM) for the month of August was organized at the Blue-Sky Hotel and it was hosted by RAC Kurunegala, RAC Mid City, and RAC Neptune Edification. This was the second DCM for the Rotaract year. After the formalities, Rtr. Theruni from Mid-City welcomed all the Rotaractors for the DMC. After the general meeting proceedings by Rtr. Kithmee, DRR Rtr. PP. Balaji briefed about the upcoming plans in the coming month. Then DISCO and the peer council members briefed about the upcoming events. On behalf of Rotaract club of Alumni of University of Moratuwa, I invited the district council to join hands for our projects Kindred Kidneys and Reimagine.  Finally, Presidents of the months were announced by the DRR and Rtr. Nipun from Colombo-Midtown and Rtr. Jesuthasan from Jaffna Midtown were nominated as the Presidents of the month of August.

While the DCM was ongoing at Blue Sky hotel, the other Rotaractors who attended to RRT 1.0 visited Athugala Temple which located at a rock near the Kurunegala town. After the DCM all Rotaractors had a small refreshment and we stayed at the same venue for the Installation ceremony of Rotaract Club of Kurunegala.  After the installation, we had lunch at the same place and got ready to visit our second destination of the visit. 

We arrived at the Medical faculty of the Wayamba University for the charter installation ceremony of the Rotaract club of Wayamba University.  The medical faculty of the Wayamba University started just one year ago, and they were able to charter a new Rotaract club within the university. This was an appreciable effort from these Rotaractors.  After the charter installation, we took a group photo marking the end of the official proceedings of the RRT 1.0. 

The bus journey on the way back was full of songs and musical sessions. It was a remarkable talent show by the Rotaractors on the way to Colombo. DRR Rtr. PP. Bala and DRR Elect Rtr. PP. Kasun Sigera led the show with their performances on Kajon. After 3 hours of nonstop singing, we reached Colombo at night. When we came back to Colombo all singers have already lost their voices due to the hard–musical workout throughout the journey. Actually, I got my voice back after one full day of rest. The first edition of RRT ended in a high note looking forward to its come-back with the RRT-2.0 the Jaffna tour. 

Rtr. Hasitha Prashan

President-Elect Training Seminar and Secretary-Elect Training Seminar (aka PETs and SETs) is a 2-day workshop for all newly elected Presidents and Secretaries to get to know the fellow president and secretary elects from other Rotaract clubs of the district, the new District Steering Committee as well as the responsibilities as president and secretary. PETs and SETs 2019 was organized by the Rotaract District 3220 on the 01st and 02nd of June 2019 at Tangerine Hotel, Kaluthara. 

On the 01st of June early morning, an enthusiastic bunch of Rotaractors gathered near Racecourse and three buses were arranged to go to Kaluthara. We arrived at the hotel around 9.00am. Soon after the registrations where done the opening ceremony was held. This session was conducted by DRR Rtr. Amjath Yoosuf and other dignitaries. After the Rotaract formalities, there were some ice-breaking sessions in order to know the peer presidents and secretaries as well as the district steering committee. The opening ceremony concluded with the official photograph of all the president elects and secretary elects.

All the presidents and secretaries were then divided into 10 groups and were given an interesting challenge. This challenge was to protect an egg (actually a foam ball) while trying to steal other groups’ eggs. This challenge leads to the formation of some interesting groups like the Ballers, Guardian of Balls, Ball Guards etc. The Rotaract District Steering Committee organized several challenges throughout the 2 days to reveal the best team. This was a great opportunity to get to know peer presidents and secretaries closely.

After the opening session, the Rotaractors were led to their lodging areas which housed them for the next 2 days. Three members were allocated for each room. After the room allocation, Rotaractors gathered for the lunch. After the lunch, the second session was conducted by the District Steering Committee where they provided brief descriptions regarding the district year plans for different avenues. After this session, there were some fun games and the teams were given the challenge to get ready with a dance for the Campfire event planned that night.

After the dinner, the most anticipated event started, the Campfire consisted of a bag full of fun events. The event was hosted by Rtr. IPP. Mohomed Rehan and the event started with a Haka challenge. There were some amazing creative Haka dances by the teams. Finally, the most awaited event of the campfire– the group dances started. The day ended up in a high note with some exciting performances by the presidents’ and secretaries’ elects.

The second day started with a morning exercise session conducted by Rtr. ADRR Thareef Bin Ubaid, which was a new experience for most of the participants. Unfortunately, bad weather interrupted this session and there was an early wind-up. The breakfast was followed by separate sessions for presidents and secretaries to discuss their respective roles, which was conducted by DRRE Rtr. PP. Krishan Balaji and District Rotaract Secretary-elect Rtr. Harindee Fernando. Then the session concluded with some amazing presentations done by the teams regarding an innovative project for a Rotary focus area. There were some amazing project ideas from the groups. 

The final session was conducted by DRRE Rtr. PP. Krishan Balaji regarding district citations and RI citations. Even though the bidding for the district projects were planned, as the final event of PETs and SETs 2019 due to minor technical issues it was postponed to the next DCM. After the presentations, the overall winner of the challenges conducted over the past 2 days was announced. Our Club Secretary’s team “Ball Guards” was the winner in this year’s PETs and SETs. 

After the formalities of the closing ceremony, there was a surprise birthday celebration for few Rotaractors who celebrate their birthdays on that day. Before leaving the premises, all the Rotaractors took their time to greet each other and to take some memorable photographs. Thus, the 2-day workshop came to an end, while creating numerous bonds between each other and a valuable boost to start the year strong!

By: Rtr. Hasitha Wellaboda

President-Elect Training Seminar and Secretary-Elect Training Seminar (PETs and SETs) is a 2-day workshop for all the newly elected Presidents and Secretaries to get to know the fellow president and secretary elects from other Rotaract clubs of the district, the new District Committee as well as the responsibilities as president and secretary. PETs and SETs 2018 was organized by the Rotaract District 3220 on 12th and 13th May at Tangerine Hotel, Kaluthara.

On 12th May morning, around 6.30 am, two buses departed from the Royal College Union Skills Center. They arrived at the hotel around 9.00 am. As soon as the buses arrived at the hotel, District Committee members were there to conduct the process of allocating rooms for everyone. Three members were allocated for each room. After the room allocation, the opening ceremony was held, which was followed by several speeches which were conducted by DRR Rtr. Anuradha Senanayake, DRRE Rtr. Amjath Yoosuf and Rotary Governor-Elect Rtn. Dushan Soza. The opening ceremony concluded with the official photograph of all the president elects and secretary elects.

All the presidents and secretaries were then divided into 10 groups and were asked to form a club for each group by electing a president from the group. Most exciting part happened afterwards, which was naming their own clubs. There were several interesting names for the clubs such as Rotaract club of Bloody Marry and Rotaract Club of Sumihiripane etc. Rotaract district has organized several challenges throughout the 2 days to recognize the best group. This was a great opportunity to get to know peer presidents and secretaries closely. The first challenge was a quiz, which had 20 questions on the knowledge of Rotaract. Before the lunch, each club was asked to take a piece of paper which contains different dancing acts, which needed to be performed at end of the day. During the lunch break, participants got the opportunity to get to know their roommates.

After the lunch, 5 out of 10 teams went for the scavenger hunt which contains several challenges and clues to be found in order to touch the finish line. Some of the challenges were to do a Haka dance, build a sand castle, play a chess game etc. Then there was a session regarding the district citations, presented by DRR Elect Rtr. PP. Amjath Yoosuf. Before the dinner, there was a small session conducted to inform the participants on the formalities that should be followed in an installation ceremony. After the dinner, the most anticipated event started, which is the dancing challenge. This challenge emphasized creativity and skills of incoming presidents and secretaries.

The second day started with a morning Zumba session, which was a new experience for the most of the participants. It was an energy boost for the participants to kick-start the day. The breakfast was followed by separate sessions for presidents and secretaries to discuss their respective roles, which was conducted by past DRR. Rtr. PP. Mohamed Husni, District Rotaract Secretary-elect Rtr. Afraa Mohamed and District Rotaract Secretary (2016-17) Rtr.Tilani Subasinghe.

After the lunch, the most awaited session commenced, which was the bidding process for district projects. All the participants were excited and competitive for the bidding. Then the district projects were assigned to each club, according to the bids they have placed for different projects. Some of the district projects which were available for bidding were RCL sports events, Lead the way and DCMs. Then the bidding came to an end with some clubs receiving the opportunity to host their preferred projects, while some clubs not.

The bidding was followed by the final challenge to each club, which is to do a presentation regarding a project that they have to do. Every team came up with great project ideas, which contain details regarding the scope, objective, budget and the sustainable plan of the project. Before the closing ceremony, each avenue director of the incoming Rotaract district conducted a presentation regarding the aspects expected from the presidents and secretaries in the incoming year. After the presentations, overall winner of the challenges conducted over the 2 days was announced. The Rotaract Club of Bloody Marry was the winner in this year’s PETs and SETs.

After the formalities of the closing ceremony, all the people surprised DRR Rtr. PP. Anuradha Senanayake with a birthday cake and birthday wishes. Before leaving the premises, all the Rotaractors took their time to greet each other and took photographs. Thus, the 2-day workshop came to an end, while creating numerous bonds between each other.

By Rtr. Waruna Rasanga

Glamour is not just a word, it is a mysterious event where glorious people sparkle on a red carpet. Rotaract Red Carpet Affair was indeed a glamour which showcased the prominence of Rotaract District 3220 to the world. The event was revealed on the 6th of May at the Eagle’s Lakeside Banquet Convention Hall in an eminence manner.

Giving the life to the event, one of the comperes for the night, Rtr. PP. Oshadha Abhayasundara made a dramatic entry to the stage. Then the event co-chairpersons Rtr. PP. Amitha Banadara and Rtr. Kanishka Wijayasekara were invited to the stage to welcome all the participants to the event.  

The day’s first Rotaract Community award, the most popular Professional Development Project for the year 2017/18 was awarded to project “Are You Ready?”, a project was done by our very own root club, the Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa.

Next up was the most anticipated showdown for the night, the Rotaract King and Queen contest, where all the participants had a great time, giving their best performances and showcasing their very own talents to entertain the rest of the crowd in the house. Out of all the fun, Rtr. Sanduni Hettigoda and Rtr. Ahmed Zeeshan was titled as Rotaract Queen and King respectively. Then the following Rotaract Community awards were presented.

• Most popular International Services project – Ceylon Safari by the Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa
• Most popular Club Services project – Frimi Conquer Colombo by the Rotaract Club of Achievers Lanka Business School.
• Most popular Community Services project – Grama Probodaya by the Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa.

Most popular individuals of the Rotaract district 3220 were identified as follows amidst the applause of all the participants.

• Most Popular District Committee Member – Rtr. PP. Oshadha Abhayasundara 
•  Most Popular Rotaractor (Female) – Rtr. Thejani Wijewardena 
• Most Popular Rotaractor (Male) – Rtr. Piyath Gunawardane
• Most Popular Secretary – Rtr. Miyuru Dharmage
• Most Popular President – Rtr. Akhila Wijetunga

Following special awards were presented to the ones who made the year 2017/18, a live one with their special talents.

• Loudest President – Rtr. Navindu Hettiarachchi 
• Hyperactive President – Rtr. Usama Liyaudeen 
• Most Flirtatious President – Rtr. Akhila Wijetunga 
• Most Innocent President – Rtr. Nabeel Shafaz
• Most Rebellious President – Rtr. Suharsha Madhurya 
• Most Dramatic President – Rtr. Adeesha Dharmakeerthi 

What came next, put the icing on the cake and made the night a one to remember.  The crowd was enthralled by the tunes of the band and the songs of the guest performer for the night – Sanuka Wickramasinghe and had the best time one can ever had in his or her entire Rotaract life.

Album: Flickr

By Rtr. Chamara Herath

Everything comes to pass, nothing comes to stay. So does the Rotaract year of 2017/18. District Conference indicates that the year has come to its end. 27th Rotaract District Conference was held on the 5th of May 2018, at the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) with the participation of over 500 Rotaractors. The event was organized by the Rotaract clubs of Colombo West, Panadura, University of Colombo – Faculty of Science and University of Moratuwa.

With the lightning of the oil lamp, the day’s proceedings began. District Sergeant-at-Arms, Rtr. Azeeza Najimudeen called the house to order and then the 27th Rotaract District Conference was called to order by the DRR Rtr. PP. Anuradha Senanayake. Rotaract formalities were done by Rtr. Oshadha Abhayasundara. The co-chairperson Rtr. Kanishka Wijayasekara then delivered the welcome speech.

DRR Rtr. PP. Anuradha Senanayake addressed the gathering, mentioning all the highlights of the Rotaract year 2017/18. Following on, DRCC Rtn. PHF Bobby Shrinivas mentioned the great work done by rotaractors throughout the year. Afterwards, the District Governor Rtn. Dr. Ven. Bandagiriye Somawansa Thero addressed the gathering and appreciated all the good work done. Then the keynote speaker Mr. Yasas Hewage spoke about searching one’s passion without losing sight of the opportunities and the importance of investing in opportunities, giving a perfect ending to the first session of the day.

In the second session, first speech was done by Youth Services Committee Chair Elect, Rtn. PHF G.S. Sylvester and admired the efforts taken by rotaractors to make the world a better place. Next, the DRR Elect Rtr. PP. Amjath Yoosuf took the stage and explained his vision for the movement and his action plan. Mr. Dilith Jayaweera, Keynote speaker for the second session spoke about innovation. District Governor Elect Rtn. PHF. Dushan Soza made the last speech of the day and spoke about the importance of bringing positive change to the movement.

In parallel to the Rotaract Conference, the election of the DRR Nominee was held. Rtr. Krishan Balaji and Rtr. PP. Aaqeel Jiffry contested for this prestigious position, where Rtr. Krishan Balaji was declared as the winner eventually.

The Awards Ceremony followed the announcement of election results. Awards were handed over to the winners of ‘President of the Month’, ‘Secretary of the Quarter’ and ‘Rotaractor of the Quarter’ titles. International Services Director of Rotaract Alumni Mora, Rtr. Rochelle Silva was recognized as the Rotaractor of the 3rd Quarter.

The efforts put in by the clusters for the completion of sustainable initiatives were also recognized during the awards ceremony. Project ‘Habitat for Humanity’ carried out by the Cluster 7 was recognized as the best cluster initiative for the Rotaract year 2017/18.

After some announcements by the District Sergeant-at-Arms, Rtr. Azeeza Najimudeen, the Rotaract District Conference came to a conclusion with all the participants making their way to the stage for a one-last group photograph in the 27th version of this grandeur event.

Album: Flickr

By Rtr. Chamara Herath

Rotaract District 3220 Sri Lanka & Maldives’ official visit to Northern Zone for Rotaract year 2017/18 took place on 3rd, 4th and the 5th of November 2017. The contingent left Colombo at 10 p.m. on Thursday, 2nd of November. An unfamiliar rainy weather welcomed us to Jaffna early in the morning on 3rd of November.

During the first day, projects Lead the Way-Phase 2, Filmology – Phase 2 and Paalam – Phase 3, along with the District Diwali Celebrations took place. Diwali celebrations added colours and vibrancy to the evening, along with a novel experience to the majority of Rotaractors. The celebrations concluded with a traditional meal at Kovil premises. During that night, Rotaractors visited the Jaffna’s must-visit Rio Ice Cream.

The second day in Jaffna peninsula commenced with the installation ceremony of Rotaract Club of Chulipuram, followed by the installation ceremonies of Rotaract Clubs of Chunnakam, Jaffna Midtown and concluded with the joint installation ceremony of Rotaract Clubs of Nallur & Manipay. It was a day of fellowship with the fellow Rotaractors of the northern region. The night was filled with music, games & laughter, as the visiting Rotaractors had a good time.

The final day of the visit commenced with the 5th District Council Meeting of RID3220. The final installation ceremony for the visit, the installation ceremony of Rotaract Club of Jaffna was held afterwards. After the lunch, the contingent roamed around Jaffna Fort and took part in an unofficial photoshoot as well. We left for Colombo at 4.30 pm. The return journey was not smooth with the heavy rainfall and a punctured tyre.  But the obstacles could not overshadow what was a great journey of fellowship between Rotaract communities of different zones.

By Rtr. Himantha Alahakoon