This project was to give an opportunity for the club members to do to enhance their public speaking skills by doing speeches or presentations on specific topics during monthly meetings. This was also conducted during joint meetings and in all the proceedings, this was followed a a first item on the agenda. The audience on Zoom ranged from 30 to 50.participants online.

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As many as 12 speakers had the opportunity to be a speaker during the session as this was held in the monthly meetings. Speakers spoke for a range of 5 to 15 minutes on topics that are personal to them in their Rotaract journey or other educational topics such as leadership, climate action, covid prevention, etc. As this was happening on a cycle, members had an idea to speak up on diverse topics and therefore, were able to make it an educational session for the other participants while also giving the chance to the speaker to express their ideas in a way of improving their public speaking. Additionally, a summarised post on tips to improve public speaking was shared on Facebook, in the month of May. Overall, the project was successful in building confidence in speakers to continue this project which a new speaker every week and creating a friendly environment to speak up on what they are passionate about.

Happy reading!

Penned By: Rtr. Akhila Senevirathne

DIYer is a novel initiative by Rotaract CLub of Alumni of University of Moratuwa in the avenue of professional development which was aimed to address skills development which is essential on an individual level going by the concept Do It Yourself (DIY). Going beyond a skill development program the project focussed to improve awareness on basic handyman skills  and develop skills and share knowhow on areas which benefit even the entrepreneurial venture development. The areas covered under this project ranged from skills that will help you at home in fixing, and tweaking household activities to tips and tricks to plan your dream wedding to skills that will lead to entrepreneurial ventures by your own self. The project was carried out under three sub-projects over a period of three months via online platforms. The audience covered youth seeking entrepreneurial opportunities, the general public especially youth who showed interest in developing much-needed basic skills for day to day fixes and youth interested in getting the know-how on event planning and event management.

1. DIYPlumber – Say no to water leaks 

DIYPlumber was a session which focussed on sharing knowledge on basic plumbing skills with practical demonstrations. The event was held on the 14th of March 2022 from 6.00p.m onwards via the Zoom platform and Facebook live. The session was conducted by Mr. Sarath Vithanage, a trainer from National Apprentice and Industrial Training Authority (NAITA) based on a course Basic Plumbing offered by the organisation. The session comprised a practical demonstration conducted live on the session which enabled the audience to get a clear understanding of the steps followed. The session covered areas such as how to manage a water leak, and the selection of necessary tools and materials which fixes for different types of applications. Since the session covered one of the basic skills required by any individual the audience comprised many youths who showed interest in the subject

2. En Vogue – Be your own Fashionista

This project is about awareness sessions on fabric making techniques. The project included four sessions which were conducted over Zoom platform as below. 

1. 11 th of May – Session on skills related to Crochet conducted by Mrs.Ganga Rathnayaka from National Crafts Council, 12 th of May – Session on skills related to Beeralu Lace conducted by Mrs. Stella Edirisinghe from  National Crafts Council
2. 19 th of May – Session on skills related to Patch Work conducted by Mrs. Fathima Zhaeema, an instructor at School of Hobby Craft  
3. 20 th of May –  Session on skills related to Paper Piecing conducted by Mrs. Fathima Zhaeema, an instructor at School of Hobby Craft  

Attendees comprised undergraduates from the Department of Textile and Clothing Engineering, University of Moratuwa and audience also comprised non-Rotaracters who were interested in fashion. Sessions were started by 7.00 pm via zoom and Facebook live was broadcasted. Sessions were around 45-60 min time duration. The sessions were conducted by three resource persons from the National Crafts Council (NCC) and School of Hobby Craft  established by a proficient in the field Ms. Daisy Wittachchi. The sessions comprised two sections where the resource persons demonstrate the technique featured in each session and the Q&A session which allowed any participant to clarify any doubt that existed with the subject matter. After each session, who these techniques can be used as a method of income and what are the institutions that give further training were mentioned. This enabled the participants who were in the field of fashion designing to get an understanding of how these techniques could be brought on to a commercial level and what organisations’ assistance could be obtained in the process. 

3. Wedding Bells

Wedding Bells, the final showdown of the series of projects under DIYer was a session on wedding planning and event management aspects organised by Rotaract Club of Alumni of University of Moratuwa with the partnership with The Bottom Line Events & Wedding Planners as the knowledge partner fo the session. The session was held on 27th May 2022 via Zoom from 6.30 p.m onwards with the participation of many Rotaractors and non ROtaractors. The session covered many areas which are of value when organising a wedding for the youth such as;

• Event planning 
• Financial management 
• Emergency situation handling 
• Florists & designers selection  
• Venue selection

The session was conducted by Ms. Yolande Gunawijeya, Managing Director of The Bottom Line Events & Wedding Planners.

Happy Reading and Watching !

Penned by : Rtr. Moksha Thisarani

GCE A/L Examination is one of the most competitive hurdles in a student’s life. It’s indeed a decisive leap that one takes forward. Thus, the competitiveness and the urge to get through that hurdle remain intense. For many students out there it’s the first time facing this. Yet, it’s a hurdle that thousands and thousands have leapt over. “A word to Future” is a timely initiative by Rotaract Alumni Mora which was aimed In bringing these experiences turned to wisdom from those who already conquered it to those who are about to face the same.

From those who seized it

“A Word to Future” was a hub for sharing experiences and essential tips on how to successfully face the GCE A/L Examination. This was also a mode of motivation for students especially amidst difficult times of a pandemic in the country. The project comprised a series of videos by many high-end achievers in the recent A/L examinations in various streams. These short video clips were based on the valuable strategies which these passionate facilitators followed to seize their opportunity to qualify this hurdle.

To the future of the country

The videos were delivered in all three languages and were shared across different social media platforms throughout five weeks. During this time, our team didn’t forget to get the students’ feedback and cater them in their upcoming videos for a better impact of the project. The feedback we received evinced that this initiative was indeed a worthy investment for the future of the country. It’s our sincere hope that these words to the future we’ve shared across the island would assist in creating countless success stories which will be invested in the future to come.

The success of the project was not an individual achievement but an effort fo the many. The valuable time, experiences and even feedback that were shared were of immense value to the project. Thus, we extend our heartiest gratitude for all the past achievers who dedicated their valuable time and everyone who supported us in making “A Word to Future” a soaring success.  

By Rtr. Sithmi Lawanga

Ever thought that being stuck at home we could explore anything remotely close to “Limitless Horizons”? The Directors of the Professional Development avenue came up with this bright idea, of exploring and sharing experiences with fellow Rotaractors regarding higher studies ouside Sri Lanka.

On the 05th of April, we joined for a joint meeting with Rotaract Club of University Alumni on the Zoom platform. After the Rotaract formalities, we we dug into the discussion. With ongoing precautions and safety measures against COVID-19, we are really thankful that having everyone spending time mostly indoors we had many senior Rotaractors joined with us. Rotaractors from both clubs who are currenly pursuing higher studies made this the platform to share their personal experience regarding the opportunities available in the world. From choosing a university, applying, and to adapt to the new society you find yourself in: the discussion was an amazing opportunity to all of us to get insight of the process. In between friends in Rotaract, the session was generally enjoyable and everyone could interact well, asking questions and sometimes sharing their entertaining stories as well!

The discussion followed be a Camaraderie session between Rotaract Alumni Mora and the Rotaract Club of University Alumni, in the form of a joint meeting. We wish all the very best to our Rotaractors endevouring on higher studies, and hope that Limitless Horizons was a wonderful initiative that widened their opportunities.

Rtr. Louise Christine

“Ignorance of the law is no excuse”. 

No matter who you are, or where you live, you are subjected to laws. You are bounded with laws. It governs our conduct from birth to the grave and sometimes even after death. Therefore, it is important to know about the general law of his/her own country. However, awareness about law among the public is poor in Sri Lanka. So, we as Rotaract Alumni of University of Moratuwa organized “Perception” to create awareness among fellow Rotaractors about general law in Sri Lanka. Rotaract Club of Colombo Central joined us as participants.  

Two supreme court lawyers joined with “Perception” with the aim of making society a better place. Mr. Sanjaya Ranathunga (AAL) is a well-recognized lawyer in Sri Lanka with vast experience in handling various legal matters. Mr. Wishva Widanagamage (AAL) is a young successful lawyer with a wide range of knowledge. The session was held on 22 September 2019 at Coco Space at 2.30 pm. 

Mr. Wishva Widanagamage started the session giving a basic understanding of the law, various types of courts and their powers. He explained how and from where we should seek for legal help considering various current examples. Then continued the session through several key points targeting problems faced by the younger generation in society.  

As a graduate, once a person entered professional life, he/she starts saving money, planning for the future. With or without knowledge, people do various activities for a better future like buy lands, come to various agreements with different parties, make investments and lend money. Mr. Widaagamage noted several key points that a person should consider before coming to any agreement, signing deeds since many people have faced a lot of trouble due to lack of knowledge and irresponsibility.  

The next key point discussed in the session was road rules. People face various troubles as a result of disobeying road rules, and sometimes, unfortunately, face accidents. Mr. Widanagamage briefly described revised fines related to disobeying road rules like drink and drive, driving without driving license, driving without insurance, and forcing an underage person to drive. Then he explained how we should act responsibly during an accident both when the person is victim and victimizer separately.  

Another key point discussed in the session was divorce cases. He explained step by step things that should be completed before filing for a divorce case giving various examples. He willingly shared his experience on divorce cases in Sri Lanka in such a way that the audience can have a clear picture of that matter. 

Since all the participants were employees, as the last key point in his discussion he talked about employee rights; What are EPF and ETF, respective percentages and how an employer is legally bounded to serve the employees.   

Apart from that, Mr. Sanjaya Ranatunga added his experience in handling various legal matters to make the session more interesting which gave an opportunity to the audience to have better insight and guidance to face problems responsibly. He concluded the session stating, “No one can elope “Karma”. No matter what you do. It will definitely come after you. That’s nature.

By: Rtr. Sumadhurie Hansika

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 Club of Alumni of University of Moratuwa, together with the Interact Club of Ananda College Colombo successfully completed the project ‘Air Wing’ at the Bandaranayake International Airport (BIA) on the 25th of May 2018. Air Wing is a concept which was aimed at imparting knowledge and understanding about the basic operations of an airport.

We gathered at the Colombo Racecourse around 9.00 am in the morning and left for BIA by a coach to reach the destination around 10. 00 am.  Upon handing over the permission letter to the airport security, we were introduced to Mr Sarath Bandara, who is an official of the Media Unit of the airport. He was joined by two more officials from Airport and Aviation Authority Sri Lanka (AASL) and a security officer for the workshop. After the security check-ups, we entered the lobby of the airport.

The workshop started with an informative session on the history of BIA. Our resource person explained why the first airport of Sri Lanka, which is the Rathmalana Airport, also knows as the Ceylon Airport during those days was not sufficient for the commercial flights. The land which the BIA currently stands had belonged to the Royal Airforce and has been acquired to build BIA in 1964 and the first terminal was opened in 1967.

After a bit of history, Mr Bandara explained the procedures and the importance of each procedure to ensure the successful operations of an international airport. In addition, the participants were able to obtain the first-hand experience on the challenges faced at BIA and how to overcome such situations. Further, the novel concepts in the aviation industry and the future prospects in airports both in Sri Lanka and overseas were explained by him.  This discussion was followed by a tour of the airport, covering the baggage area, immigration, lounge, duty-free shops and terminals.

We thanked Mr Bandara and the officials of AASL and left for the Training Centre of Sri Lankan Airlines. The officials of Sri Lankan Airlines Training Centre welcomed us and escorted the participants to the simulator facility of A320 and A330.  After a brief introduction to the facility, which is the only such facility in the island, the training pilot explained the engineering behind the simulators; the electronics, pneumatics, server system and the data flow from simulators to the server and vice versa.  Then the participants received a first-hand flight experience in the Flight Simulator of A320, from the take-off to control under different weather conditions to landing. The feeling was so real that some of us toppled when the flight took off from the runaway.

After thanking the officials, we left for Colombo with a lot of memories at the simulator centre, as well as the airport, with some students making up their minds to become pilots in the future!

By Rtr. Himantha Alahakoon

‘Get Hired’ is a novel initiative of Rotaract Club of Alumni of University of Moratuwa with the intention of providing insights on different industries for the third-year undergraduates of the Faculty of Engineering of University of Moratuwa, prior to the commencement of their internship programme.

On 2nd of May 2018, the first ever session of ‘Get Hired’ was conducted for University of Moratuwa – Engineering Batch ’15. The session was enlightened with the enthusiastic participation and support from the past Rotaractors, who shared their experiences in various industry sectors at different positions. The underlying purpose of this was to give a clear understanding to undergraduates on how to select an appropriate corporate for their internship placements.

 

The discussion was carried out by grouping the participants according to their field of specialization. Each group was mentored by a Rotaractor who has experience in that specific specialization. Available career paths in a particular specialization, factors to consider when selecting a training place, recommended training places, notes on preparing a CV, experiences on facing interviews, areas to focus during internship period, work ethic during internship, relationship with training supervisor, research opportunities available in different specializations were some of the key topics that were taken into discussion.

Alumni Rotaractors passed down advises to the participants, while guiding them on how to build their career paths.  Though it was an evening of professional guidance, the session catered to build fellowship among the university Rotaractors and alumni Rotaractors as well.

 

By Rtr. Hiruni Bandara