The 32nd Rotaract District Conference was a great success and was held at the Opulent River Face Hotel on the 26th of March 2023. The host clubs Rotaract Club of University of Colombo Faculty of Management and Finance, Rotaract Club of Uva Wellassa University – Badulla, and Rotaract Club of Kadawatha together with the District Professional Development Avenue team worked for months to make this occasion a memorable one.
32 වන රොටරැක්ට් දිස්ත්‍රික් සමුළුව ඉතා සාර්ථකව පැවැත්වුණු අතර එය 2023 මාර්තු 26 වන දින Opulent River Face හෝටලයේදී පැවැත්විණි. සත්කාරක සමාජයන් ලෙස කොළඹ විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ කළමනාකරණ හා මූල්‍ය පීඨයේ රෝටරැක්ට් සමාජය, බදුල්ල ඌව වෙල්ලස්ස විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ රෝටරැක්ට් සමාජය, කඩවත රෝටරැක්ට් සමාජය දිස්ත්‍රික් වෘත්තීය සංවර්ධන අංශය සමඟ එක්ව මෙම අවස්ථාව අමතක නොවන අවස්ථාවක් බවට පත් කිරීමට මාස ගණනක් වෙහෙස මහන්සි වී වැඩ කළහ.
32வது ரொட்டராக்ட் மாவட்ட மாநாடு மிகவும் வெற்றிகரமாக 2023 ஆம் ஆண்டு மார்ச் மாதம் 26 ஆம் திகதி Opulent River Face ஹோட்டலில் நடைபெற்றது. கொழும்பு பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் முகாமைத்துவம் மற்றும் நிதிப்பீடத்தின் ரோட்டராக்ட் கழகம், ஊவா வெல்லஸ பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் ரோட்டராக்ட் கழகம், கடவத்த ஆகிய கழகங்கள் மாவட்ட நிபுணத்துவ அபிவிருத்தி அவென்யூ குழுவுடன் இணைந்து இந்த நிகழ்வை மறக்கமுடியாத ஒன்றாக மாற்ற பல மாதங்கள் உழைத்தனர்.
The day started off with the DRR Rtn. Rtr. PP Ahamed Hussain calling the house to order following the lighting of the oil lamp by the dignitaries. Next, the welcome address was delivered to the audience by the Presidents of the host clubs; Rtr.Gajaba, Rtr. Thimira and Rtr. Naveen. To outset the theme for the conference “Persistent Youth For A Hopeful Future” the stage was given to the District Rotaract Representative for the RI year 2022-23, Rtn. Rtr. PP Ahamed Hussain.
Next came the start of the fun elements of the event, ‘’The Ice Breaker Session’’ hosted by Rtr. Gershan & Rtr. Shaheem, where everyone had to get up on their feet and get to know everyone around them, which was definitely a good start to the conference. The keynote speaker, Mrs. Stepahnie Siriwardena was a great inspiration to the crowd as she elaborated on her view about youth, and passion and brought in her own life experiences to make the session more engaging.
Right after was the addressing of the crowd by the District Rotaract Chair 2022-23, Rtn. PP Farzana Khan followed by the speech of the Rotary District Governor 2022-23, Rtn. PHF PP Pubudu De Zoysa. To take a musical break we had one talented member from the Rotaract Club of CINEC who stole the show with an outstanding saxophone performance. Next off was the Panel discussion, which was one of the main highlights of the day. With Rtn. Aashiq Aminuduin as the host and Ms. Rasini Bandara, Mr. Russel Valentine, Rtn. Marshad Barry and Mr.Vinod Payagala as the panel. The panel discussion spoke on topics like Self-awareness and Development – How to start with the self. Inside-out approach, Part that the youth can play for a better tomorrow and Handling Pressure and Challenges. It was indeed an enlightening session.
The conference took an hour break for lunch and was back with filled stomachs ready for the rest of the day. The second half of the conference started with the most anticipated group activity judged by our very own DRRs which was a wonderful experience as many new ideas were shared with the audience. Following that was the guest speech by Mr. Dhanushka Fernando where the crowd was very eager to get their doubts cleared by the industry professional during the Q and A. Then was the guest speech by Dr.Philip Nehri. Next up was the address by the District Rotaract Chair for the RI year 2023-24, Rtn. PP Sohan and the Rotary District Governor for the RI year 2023-24, Rtn. Jerome.
The Rotaract Club of Uva Wellassa University – Badulla gave an amazing dancing performance that awed the audience and was a good break to refresh our minds. Following the entertainment item our DRRs, District Rotaract Representative for the RI year 2023-24, Rtr. PP Sathma Jayasinghe and District Rotaract Representative for the RI year 2024-25, Rtr. PP Shanel Mendis got the opportunity to address the audience and speak a few words about the day and how they viewed the theme of the conference.
Then came the most awaited moment of the day ‘’Ask the DRRs – Open Forum’’ where the past, present and future DRRs shared the stage together and created a beautiful memory for all of us. Right after the whole audience was surprised by the fellowship element which brought back the famous ‘’Arshad and Arshad’’ corner that included a grand entrance of the two and a fun-filled segment of mini-competitions. Everyone for sure had a good laugh here. That brought us to the end of the conference where the District Professional Development team gave the vote of thanks. The floor was then open for dance and music while the special Ifthar treats were ready for our fellow Muslim friends who were fasting.
That brought us to the end of another successful Rotaract District Conference with captivating speakers, engaging workshops, and unforgettable moments. This conference was the ultimate gathering for young leaders, hoping for a bigger and better one the next year!!
Written By:-
Rtr. Melisha Gonaduwa
(Co-Director Professional Development – 2022-23)
Nicely penned!