The Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya has been one of the most meaningful parts of my university life. Looking back, I can confidently say it shaped not only my undergraduate journey but also who I am today as a person.
As a Science Faculty undergraduate, university life often came with stress and pressure, and amidst it all, Rotaract became a place where I could breathe, connect, and grow, even if it was sometimes stressful too.
My journey began with a simple passion. Along with my beloved friend Charika, I applied to join Rotaract because we had always been actively involved in extracurricular activities during school. We wanted to continue that spirit in university life. At the time, the only available avenues were International Service Avenue and Sports and Recreational Avenue. Since neither of us were involved in sports, we chose International Service Avenue. That decision marked the beginning of a journey I will always cherish.
As a first-year undergraduate, everything felt new and overwhelming. My journey took an unexpected turn when I applied for Merge 2.0. I expected a small role with minimal responsibility, but I was selected as Co-Chairperson, something I never imagined for my first project.
It was a challenging experience, but I was fortunate to be guided by amazing people. I am truly grateful to Lihini akkie, Ruvinath ayya, and our Vice President Himas ayya. Their humility and leadership made International Service Avenue feel like a family.
During my first year, EKHOS of Ceylon became one of my most memorable projects. As Co-Chairperson, I was part of a project promoting Sri Lanka’s hidden gems to the tourism industry. Traveling across beautiful locations and working as a team created unforgettable memories.
One of the most special moments was our trip to Nuwara Eliya. We stayed in Mandaram Nuwara and got caught in heavy rain. Despite the challenges, it became one of the most unforgettable experiences of my Rotaract journey.
Other most special highlights from my Rotaract journey was also winning the Most Popular Video award for creating an authentic Sri Lankan food video for an international competition organized by a foreign club, which went on to gain over 15K views.
Another impactful project was Project EduKetha, where we taught ICT to students at the Deaf School in Rathmalana. It was an emotional and eye-opening experience that reminded me of the true meaning of service. I also sincerely appreciate the IT Avenue co-directors, Gimhan ayya, Vandana akkie, and the overlooking EXCO member of the IT Avenue, Sachinthani akkie, whose leadership helped the avenue achieve the Best Technical Avenue Award.
As my journey continued, a major milestone was being selected as a Team Leader for International Service Avenue along with Kareema, Prithivi, and Chamodya akkie. This role helped me build strong friendships that I still cherish deeply.
How could I forget Rota Tomorrow 5.0, where I served as a Team Leader in the Competition Committee (and later contributed to the Event Committee as well). Working with Shehal ayya and under the guidance of our amazing mentor Safaa akkie, we successfully executed the project Sathkara.
In my second term (2025–2026), I was appointed as an Assistant Secretary along with one of my best friends, Kareema. I was responsible for overlooking the Regional Engagement Avenue and Information Technology Avenue, along with documentation duties.
I must admit that documentation was not my comfort zone, and I know I may have pressured our secretary, Delishia akkie, at times. However, I want to sincerely thank her. She was incredibly supportive, patient, and dedicated. I learned a lot from her, and I deeply appreciate her efforts behind the scenes.
Under Regional Engagement Avenue, mentoring projects like CollabFest 25, Mentora, and Haritha Siripa 2.0 became unforgettable experiences. CollabFest ’25 included a scenic hike, a memorable trip to Jaffna, a meaningful donation, and a beach cleanup. It was challenging and demanding at times, but also deeply fulfilling and unforgettable. I sincerely hope this project continues in the upcoming terms, as it was the first initiative of its kind.
I sincerely thank Eranda and Pranama akkie, my amazing co-directors of the Regional Engagement Avenue, for their continuous support.
The Information Technology Avenue, with Mahen ayya as the director, was one of the most challenging parts of my journey this term. The avenue had to face a lot of challenges from the very beginning, and I found myself navigating through many unexpected situations along the way. Somehow, through all of it, we are now ready to make Project EvolveX 2.0 a success.
More importantly, Rotaract gave me people. I was fortunate to meet amazing individuals, especially Humie and Kareema, who stood by me from the beginning of my journey until now. These friendships are one of my greatest takeaways.
When I look at the term 2025–2026, what stands out most is the unity within the Board of Directors and EXCO. We were not just a team working on projects; we supported each other, stood for each other, and stayed for each other through every challenge. That bond made this term truly special, and I will always cherish it.
I know I will never forget these moments. I will miss the late-night EXCO meetings that sometimes stretched for hours into the early morning and the little private chats with Deepna akkie during meetings, silently reacting to everything happening around us. I will miss the fundraising, planning, execution, trips, events, award ceremonies, and celebrations. Most of all, I will miss the people, the laughter, the hugs after long days, the shared stress, and the joy of achieving things together. Every moment became a memory I will carry forever.
If I were to list everything, there would be countless memories from Rotaract that I could never fully capture in this article. So many moments, experiences, and people have become a part of me, and they will remain in my heart forever. In my first year alone, I contributed to around eight projects in different roles, while also contributing to other capacities beyond that.
I am deeply grateful for everything Rotaract has given me. I truly tried to give back as much as I could to the club that gave me some of the best memories, people, and experiences of my university life.
And with a heart full of gratitude,
Viva La Rotaract!
