Hear ye! Hear ye! It’s the end of yet another brilliant and meticulously crafted year, marking 13 years of excellence since the inception of the good and mighty: The Rotaract Club of University of Sri Jayewardenepura! Strength, resilience and glory is no stranger to RACUSJ, and so was the RI year 2023-2024, which brought upon an unambiguous new horizon, creating a new wavelength as never seen before. This was not without the endless laughter and the memories shared along with the blood, sweat and tears; so let me take you on the journey that was definitely one for the history books… Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, the 13th RI year : A year that brought upon a new horizon!
With another RI year drawing it’s curtains, the spotlight slowly turns to the wonderfully talented cast – the unrelenting bunch of multitalented Rotaractors of RACUSJ, who pulled all of their weight to make each of their tasks successful, slowly building up the 13th year to be a strong one, standing with resilience to deliver our motto, which is to prosper through service, to the absolute tee.From the root of the club, the member, to the assistant directors, the directors of avenues, and the executive committee, all tied each project up with love, laughter, friendship and ultimately, service, encouraging those around them to do so as well. Let’s walk along the memory lane that was beautified by our 6 avenues and 3 committees, and be prepared for some nostalgia!
As in any club, it’s members and the camaraderie, the love and the friendship they share is always the foundation that the entire club and it’s years of service are bulit on. Such was also the case for RACUSJ, and the Club Service Avenue did not miss a beat in carrying out it’s duties in creating this atmosphere. It’s joint directors for the RI year 23/24, Rtr. Prabhanadee Supunsara & Rtr. PawanyaBalasooriya did an amazing job in handling the club’sprojects, such as I’m a Rotaractor, Uni Three, Memorable December, Avurudu Fest and Razzle Up which added colour to the RI year! I’m a Rotaractor provided the space for new club members to mingle with fellow members and enjoy themselves while learning about what the club had to offer. Uni Three brought the Rotaract Clubs of University of Peradeniya and University of Ruhuna together in a collaboration of joy, while Memorable December and Avurudu Fest brought about the seasonal cheer in full blast. Razzle Up, a mini project- managed to pull a large crowd of university students prepared for a good laugh, and that was exactly what they received- – an evening full of laughter!
As in all previous years, the echoes of service to the community was heard all across, illuminating and making many a life better, through impactful projects carried out by the Community Service Avenue. The joint directors of this avenue, namely Rtr. Chamiki Fernando, Rtr. Sanila Gamage & Rtr. Ushara Kularathna took initiative in spreading the message of service through various projectssuch as project Diviyata Diviyak 3.0 giving hope to the vulnerable. Project For Them to Blossom 6.0 also continued for the 6th consecutive year, addressing the needs of both children and elders. Rise Up Sri Lanka 4.0, the E-magazine spread peace and unity to it’s readers, while the impactful project Page Turners and the transformative project Butterfly effect 5.0 contributed to mental health massively.
Being a youth led club, their professional development is an aspect is something that cannot be overlooked, hence, the incredible work form the Professional Development Avenue! Headed by it’s directors Rtr. Devanga Kemini & Rtr. Sachira Pebotuwa , Projects Scholastic coach 3.0, Be Professionally Equipped 6.0, YES & Vanguard were smoothly conducted centered on building up soft skills, skill development, career guidance, personal lifestyle management and also touching upon the opportunities ofabroad. For university students active in RACUSJ, these projects were undoubtably a guiding light for them to climb up the ladder in their respective careers, helping them to stand out as well rounded and eligible candidates.
RACUSJ didn’t forget one of it’s most important duties amidst the numerous taks they were called upon to do on a daily. This was none other than the protection of our loving mother nature! The work that was done through projects Growing Green 5.0, Aquatica Wave 4.0, Animalia 4.0, Build Green 2 & Eco Bricks in restoring corals & mangroves, cleaning our beautiful beaches, cleaning turtle conservatories, recycling, and also educating fellow citizens about the importance of the environment, all conducted by the Environmental Service Avenue with the leadership of it’s directors Rtr. Eashani Caldera & Rtr. Sahan Patabendi were imperative in our service to mother earth.
Breaking the local bubble, the International Service Avenue spread out impact far and wide through projects such as Food Fusion, which spread culture through hearty discussions about meals, Health A Plenty 3.0, increasing awareness about health, Literato Chapter 6 & also Heal the World 3.0 influencing many to incorporate other cultures into their own lives, while collaborating with several clubs from various countries such as India, Italy, Nepal etc as well. All of this was successfully carried out under the watchful eyes of it’s directors, Rtr. Kavya Malindi & Rtr. Sithmi Nimasha, who made sure that our club was not limited to it’s geographical boundaries.
When it comes to physical activeness, the Sports and Recreational Activities Avenue doesn’t take it’s duties lightly, and have throughout the year organized various activities to get everyone’s blood pumping and to build camaraderie through projects such as Triunfo 2.0, Sports Fiesta, Match Day, Amigo 2.0, 4 score 6.0 and Respawn4.0 which focused on indoor and outdoor games, beach games, treasure hunts and included the essence of many sports such as Cricket, Football, Basketball, video gamesand many more. The directors of SRA, Rtr. Tharushi Pigera& Rtr. Roshell Askey made sure that the SRA, as usual brought to the table the energy the typical college student needs to break out of their lazy everyday routine, andhelped all of us break free from our monotonous lifestyle, refreshing our energy.
The 3 committees of RACUSJ, namely the Membership Development Committee, Finance Committee & Public Relations Committee all played their parts in balancing our club and helping to keep it strong and unwavering during the year.
The Membership Development Committee, overlooked by it’s directors
Rtr. Savinduni Dahanayake & Rtr. Tharushi Nadhunika dida stellar job in building a vibrant atmosphere inside the club by cultivating a diverse and dedicated membership base through events and projects such as the 13th Installation Ceremony – which was the inception of the new term of the new Executive Committee and Board of Directors, I’m a Rotaractor, Cinema Galore, Eureka and Splendour – all of which at every point celebrate the unity, diversity and the vibrance of our club as a whole.
The Finance Committee provided a strong backbone to the club led by it’s directors Rtr. Mayashi Manodya & Rtr. Savindu Wijetilleke, through numerous projects that provided insight about the importance of financial soft skills, increasing financial literacy, education and awareness amongst the general public through projects ITEX, Spenofin, Finsight & the collaborative project with Club Service – Memorable December. With the attentive & smart work ethic of it’s directors, the Finance Committee did a wonderful job in managing the avenue.
The Public Relations Committee made sure that lens through which the outer world views RACUSJ was without a speck of dirt, & as rosy as could be! This was ensured by it’s directors Rtr. Dinuki Perera & Rtr. Rusira Thilakarathna, through projects such as Someone’s Daughter Vol.6- which paved the way for a better future for women, and Design Warrior 4.0- which increased the creativity and knowledge that participants could gain through editing software, & also the projects Rotaract & Avurudu Fest (which was done in collaboration with the Club Service Avenue). The connection between the external environment was carried out masterfully.
Condensed into a few words, we can never truly measure the impact created throughout the RI year 13, by the souls old & new who joined hands to bring light to the world, in the very special way, that is the way of RACUSJ. Souls likely & unlikely to meet blended & created bonds to last a lifetime, & memories were made for each and everymember to look back on, keeping little snapshots of the core memories in the back of their minds, to reflect on what was an amazing year for our club. With triumph roaring in our years, the 13th RI year ends herewith, proving to society that it’s an unstoppable force, that carries it’s echoes for years to come. Cheer on for more!
Written by: Rtr. Sandali Mendis
Graphic design by: Rtr. Sathmi Dinanja
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