The Rotaract Club of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura with utmost enthusiasm and sincerity held Phase II of Butterfly Effect on the 10th of September, World Suicide Prevention Day. With the huge success of Butterfly Effect Phase, I, Phase II was initiated as a response to citizens who requested a far more practical approach to a sensitive subject to most hearts. On the 10th of September from 5pm to 8pm, the Rotaract Club of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura in cooperation with Sumithrayo held a suicide awareness program at the Independence Memorial Hall with public access to everyone.

This project was an initiative of the Public Relations Avenue. Few weeks prior to the event, the club was able to put out a video consisting of video cuts of suicide attempt survivors. This video was put on the Facebook page of the club and the PR of the club was built with each and every share and like gained throughout by the video. Two days prior to the event, a video cut was uploaded on the page to further promote the event by Prashani Goonethilake, a presenter at “Kiyanna”, Sirasa Tv. Every member present at the Suicide Awareness program wore shirts to represent the club and to gain more exposure and were recognized and appreciated by each and every one present. SL Diaries acted as the online media partner for the event. They covered the whole event and was output as a video on their channel.

The objective of the program was to answer questions that people raise regarding suicide and mental illnesses and how to cope with it. The program started with a few speeches, a video which consisted of compelling video cuts of suicide attempt survivors and onto a drama by our own Rotaractors. The message that the club wished to give through the drama was how the society portrays that a man in the society should be; emotionless and asked to man up, and how depression is not always obvious and that the people who we never suspect of may take their own lives any given moment.

 This drama was an entrance to the panel discussion which happened immediately after so that people would be compelled to ask more questions and to reach out. The panel discussion was conducted by an eminent team comprising of Chief Guest, Dr. Razia Pendse, WHO Representative in Sri Lanka; Mr. Thirupathy Suveendran, WHO Colombo; Dr. Velauthapillai Jegaruban, MOH, Govt. Addiction Centre Killinochchi Hospital and Dr. Neil Fernando, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist. The Panel discussion was very successful as most people present raised a lot of questions and actively participated throughout the session. To mark the end of a very successful and fruitful program, candles were lit at 8 o’clock to remember those who have died of suicide.

This has been by far one of the most successful and heartfelt projects done by the club, partly because of the recognition gained through many media partners and representatives of various communities and partly because a huge amount of people reached out to members present at the event to talk about their struggles and to ask for help. The accomplishment of the project was gained by the depth of the words said by the people present to the club members about the effect of holding the event to help those in need and those reluctant to reach out.

The Rotaract Club of the University of Sri Jayewardhanepura was highly appreciated by Sumithrayo, the present media partners and all participants at the event for their humble effort to bring out a topic which is sensitive yet much needed to be discussed in depth in the Sri Lankan society.

Rtr. Tharindi Devasurendra