Rotary Club of Colombo Mid-City

Completed a successful District Governor’s Official Visit on the 12th of September where the Board of Directors presented their plans for the year and received insightful feedback from our Governor Rtn Jerome Rajendram. We are stoked for the upcoming year, and looking forward to being the change and creating hope in the world!

Throwback to the 37th Installation Ceremony of the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City held on the 4th of August at The Cinnamon Lakeside.

Here's wishing our new President Rtn Shehantha Dias and his board all the very best for the Rotary year 2023/2024.

A huge thank you to all the members and guests, including Chief Guest District Governor Jerome Rajendram, who attended the event. Special thanks to the band 'Black' for making the event truly memorable.

               

VENUE CHANGE!

The Rotary Club of Mid City will now be hosting 'Ripple of Hope', the Installation Ceremony of the 37th President Rtn Shehantha Dias and a dinner party with Black, in aid of water, sanitation projects and other humanitarian projects at:

The Waterside Marquee, Cinnamon Lakeside on the 4th of August from 7.30pm onwards

Tickets: Rs 8,000
Dress Code: Shades of Blue
For more information: Rtn Rahel - 0772588910

The Rotary Club of Mid City invites you to 'Ripple of Hope', the Installation Ceremony of the 37th President Rtn Shehantha Dias and a dinner party with Black, in aid of water, sanitation projects and other humanitarian projects. Come join us for a night of great tunes and fellowship, on the 4th of August from 6.30pm onwards at The Blue, Hilton Colombo.

Tickets: Rs 8,000
Dress Code: Shades of Blue
For more information: Rtn Rahel - 077258890

Dementia is a neuro-degenerative disease that generally affects individuals over the age of 60 years. Alzheimer’s is a particular type of Dementia and accounts for about 70% of the cases. In March 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that currently more than 55 million people across the world suffer from dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases each year. To date, it has no cure. Moreover, a cure is not likely to be available for at least 6 to 7 years. It is a deadly disease, and as it progresses, it makes the patient totally dependent on caregivers, who go through an extremely difficult and painful time looking after the patient. There is a dearth of information for the care-givers who suffer much more than the patient.

According to the World Bank, 12.3% of the population in Sri Lanka is aged 60 or older, making it the country with the highest proportion of older adults in South Asia. The Western province has the highest percentage of the country’s elderly at 31.7%. The Sri Lanka chapter of the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Rotary Action Group (ADRAG) was launched on 17th June 2023, with the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City as the lead club, with the aim of spreading awareness about the disease, helping to enable early detection of the disease and supporting the caregivers.

A livelihood project was launched for O-level students of the School for the Blind, Ratmalana on 27th June to teach partially sighted and fully blind students hand sewing, embroidery, machine sewing, knitting, etc. based on each child’s level of skill and capability. The aim of the project is to empower students with a skill that could bring them employment on leaving school. Weekly classes will be carried out at the school by club members and voluteers. The club donated an industrial machine to the school for this purpose.

Hear from our new member Rtn Sherine Ameresekere as to why she joined Rotary....

A timely reminder that we need to serve in the best interests of our communities...

Members of the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City met recently at The Hilton Colombo to design a long-term vision and plan for the club. The outcome of the strategic planning workshop was a set of core values and a 3-year plan which will effectively provide the club with a road map for future success.

Members of the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City visited the District General Hospital in Mullaitivu recently to hand over a multipara monitor, 2 syringe pumps, 2 infusion pumps, and 2 xray illuminators worth Rs 4 million. The donation was part of a global grant project carried out in conjunction with the Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney to provide dire medical equipment for the Mullaitivu Hospital.

Award winning finance lawyer and human rights activist Aritha Wickramasinghe will address the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City on Tuesday, 23rd May at The Hilton Colombo.

If you would like to attend, contact Pres. Shaleeka (0777560227) for further details.

Our club's annual pop quiz was held recently at The Hilton Colombo with our Rotaractors joining in for an evening of fun and camaraderie. We also took time to recognise PP Kingsley Jayalath for his contributions to The Rotary Foundation which have now topped USD 5,000!

quiztime

The Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City distributed lunch packets to 100 needy individuals in Colombo to commemorate Vesak Day.

Join us for our annual Pop Quiz on Tuesday, 9th May at The Hilton Colombo, 7pm onwards.

*Guests - Rs 3000

Our club celebrated the Sinhala & Tamil New Year with the traditional milk rice (kiribath), sweets (kevili), and games at The Hilton Colombo. The event was open to past members of our club as well as members' families, and was an occasion for much festivity and merriment.

May the dawn of the New Year bring you and your family good health, peace and prosperity!

Join us for our Avurudhu Celebration on 25th April, 8.30pm onwards.

*Guests - Rs 3000

Members appreciating the architectural and religious significance of Chennakeshava temple in Belur and Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu in the Hassan district of Karnataka, India, along with fellow Rotarians from RC Bangalore Cantonment, District 3190, India.

The Quarter 3 issue of our club's newsletter 'Rota-Bulle' is now out!

To find out more,
Call 0777 560 227.

An In Memoriam meeting, followed by dinner, was organized by our club in honour of our Charter President Rtn PP MPHF PDG Suresh Melvani who passed away some weeks ago. The meeting was attended by DG Pubudu De Zoysa, PDG Thariq Thulba, AG Kumudu Warnakulasooriya, Ann Poonam Melvani and family, as well as charter members, past presidents and club members. A memorial plaque was presented to Ann Poonam by the club on the occasion.

Members of the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City visited the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama earlier today to hand over a binocular microscope and a holter monitor worth Rs 7 million. The donation was part of a global grant project worth Rs 27 million carried out in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Hills-Kellyville, Sydney to provide dire medical equipment for the Apeksha Hospital.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City held a joint club meeting with the Rotary Club of Colombo recently. The meeting was well attended by members of both clubs, as well as visiting Rotarians PDG Kerstin Thowart of the Rotary Club of Nuremberg Segena, Germany and Rtn Jan Brunner of the Rotary Club of Nuremberg Sebald, Germany. The guest speaker on the occasion was Dr K Kanag-Isvaran, PC who shared his insights on the very interesting and apt topic "commissions, transparency, and accountability".

The Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City and the Rotary Club of Colombo jointly presents 'Quid Pro Quo' with President’s Counsel Dr K. Kanag-Isvaran.

We invite all Rotarians and Non-Rotarians to join us on Tuesday, the 21st of March from 7pm onwards at The Hilton Colombo.

Contact Pres. Shaleeka (0777560227) for further details.

Throwback to our recent Rotary Family Exchange which gave us the perfect blend of wine, knowledge and friendship at the Grover Zampa Vineyards in Bangalore, India.

Its time to CHANGE the conversation, CHANGE the game, CHANGE the world.

Happy International Women's Day to every strong woman who refused to give up, and to every man who supported her journey!

Our beloved Charter President Rtn PHF PDG PP Suresh Melvani passed away on 22nd February 2023. His ideals of integrity and service laid the foundation for the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City. He will always be in our hearts and minds as we continue to maintain the high standards he set for the club and us individually as Rotarians.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City, along with the Rotary Club of Bangalore Cantonment and the Interact Club of Colombo School of Arts and Sciences, will be hosting a virtual panel discussion on peace and conflict resolution, 'Peace Talks', on Sunday, the 5th of March from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Zoom.

To find out more, call Rtn. Shaleeka on 0777560227

In Rotary, we empower people to learn leadership skills and give them opportunities to make a difference in their local and the larger global communities. We encourage Rotarians to give generously of their skills and talents to make a change in their own lives and the lives of others.

Hear from our new member Rtn Rahel Fernando as to why he joined Rotary....

Club members recently visited the Alawwa Base Hospital where they handed over two boilers to the hospital's maternity and paediatric wards.

 

The Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City commenced a community kitchen at Hetewatta (Torrington) yesterday to provide lunch to 100 needy pregnant mothers, children, and differently abled individuals over a two week period. The project was commenced to support those most adversely affected by the country's present economic crisis.

Throwback to 'One Night with Elvis', a musical evening organised by the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City on the 7th of February at The Hilton Colombo in aid of the club's upcoming service projects.

A huge thank you to all the members and guests, including District Governor Pubudu De Zoysa and District Governor Nominee and Honorary Member Prof. Joy Palmer-Cooper, who attended the event which coincided with the club's 36th anniversary, making it truly a night of celebration!

We are proud to be celebrating 36 years of service to our communities. We thank our members, past and present, who have been a part of our journey, serving above self to bring hope to Sri Lanka.

Last week, the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid City in conjunction with FAIRMED Sri Lanka, successfully conducted a financial management workshop in Lankapura, Polonnaruwa for differently abled individuals and caregivers of neighbouring villages. The disability aid received by the participants from the government is insufficient for them to support their households and they have to resort to supplementing their income through revenue generating projects, for which they require financial management knowledge and skills which we aimed to provide through the workshop.

Timeline Photos