He likes to think of himself as “Batman”. With his level of commitment, creativity and innovative ideas, no one can deny that he is indeed a superhero. He is none other than the creator of our infamous blog, our Past Editor Rtr. Ruzni Faik. To share the valuable lessons he learned, we invited him to share his Journey Through Rotaract.
What made you join Rotaract?
Honestly, I never intended to join Rotaract. It was my good friend Praveen who convinced me to join and he actually brought me in by force. My initial reluctance was due to the lack of awareness about Rotaract and this is in fact, the main reason as to why many undergraduates hesitate to join. This was one such challenge we faced and we were very successful in creating a good popularity and awareness of Rotaract, thanks to which we were able to enroll a record number of new members.
How did Rotaract influence you to become the person you are today?
Rotaract has played a very crucial role in molding the person I am today. It was because of Rotaract that I understood what my true potential and capabilities were. I would spend sleepless nights updating blog posts and never get tired of it. I am naturally a hard worker, but how hard can I work was tested thanks to Rotaract. Getting involved in projects provided us the platform to put our decision-making and management skills to test.
Thanks to these skills I developed via Rotaract I am now involved in managing large scale power and infrastructure projects for my company and thereby contributing towards the development of Sri Lanka. So basically, I have to demonstrate the same set of skills I used in Rotaract projects for the infrastructure projects that my company is involved in, however on a much larger scale and with more serious consequences.
You are the creator of our famous blog. What made you come up with that idea?
Honestly, it wasn’t my idea. It was the Rotaract District’s decision to scrap-off newsletters and replace them with blogs. Thanks to IPDRR Rtr. Shakthi for making such a call by understanding the information era we live in. The introduction of blogs in the same year I was appointed the Editor of our club, made me very excited because I had my own blog during my school days, so I know the way around it. Also, because blogs compared to newsletters opens up a whole new universe with a lot of options and opportunities which I knew I will be able to exploit and create a very comprehensive Blog.
I can still remember the initial days I spent creating the Blog. Creating the blog interface is actually the most difficult part of blogging. The amount of coding that I had to familiarize myself with, the attention to detail put into the layout and make over, the number of test blogs that had to be launched and finally after hours spent in perfecting, the RCUOCFMF Blog was born, and the rest is history.
As Batman says, “Seek victory in foresight”, at the point of launch I envisioned the blog going great places, but I totally underestimated what it actually did achieve. Our club was being called the Blog Club and the then DRR Rtr. Shakthi used to say that even the District used to refer to our Blog to get information on the various projects in the District.
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| 26th Rotaract District Assembly (Image Source- Official Media Arm of Rotaract District 3220) |
What is your most memorable or treasured experience being a Rotaractor?
There are a lot of treasured memories. One of the most treasured was when I was selected as the Rotaractor of the Month by the District, which was a total surprise. Above all the most I treasure are the friends I made during my time with the club. I got the opportunity to work with great human beings and fantastic individuals from my batch as well as from junior batches.
Another amazing moment was when Praveen, Nilukshi, Supun and I bumped into the then Rotary International President Rtn. K.R. Ravindran in the streets of Chicago. We had a great conversation with him and he immediately offered us a tour of the RI headquarters in Chicago which was a fantastic experience.
What were some of the biggest lessons that have impacted the way that you work?
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| 26th Rotaract District Assembly (Image Source- Official Media Arm of Rotaract District 3220 ) |
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is being committed and dedicated to your responsibilities. When I was given the position as the Editor of the Club it was my responsibility to work on the Blog. I had to take the initiative and get things done. I understood that to be successful you have to be fully committed and dedicated, which is a not going to be a cakewalk, but yet you got to get it done.
This is the exact learning I demonstrate at work today. If I am entrusted with some tasks I got to get it done. Your boss is not required to ask you to stay up late and complete the task if you really take up the responsibility and be dedicated then you wouldn’t hesitate to burn the midnight oil and fulfill your responsibilities. Be it Rotaract or work, always understand what your responsibilities are and work towards living up to it.
Is there something you wish you had done differently?
Well, there isn’t much because thankfully whatever I have done for the club has paid off in some way. But in terms of the Blog, I guess I should have gone with WordPress instead of Blogger as the platform. WordPress is very dynamic and provides more tools and options in designing the blog and its posts. But going with Blogger had its blessing in disguise, the simplicity of its layout made it possible to give more focus to content and encourage active reading.
What do you think about the position of the club as at now?
The club is in a fantastic position today. When we commenced Rotaract year 2015/16 we had a lot of things to fix. We faced many challenges initially. But our Exco led by Praveen was up for all the challenges and with the rest of the Board, we worked hard to take RCUOCFMF from an ordinary Rotaract Club to the Best Rotaract Club in the District as cited by the Rotary as well as the Rotaract District 3220.
The other clubs in the District look up to us and I’m happy to see the good work we did being continued. I’m especially happy with the Blog. Our club Blog continues to be the best Blog in the District and it’s thanks to the hard work of the current Editors Rtr. Isuri Alahakoon and Rtr. Dilini Perera. When I started training them on Blogging they knew absolutely nothing, but now they are as good as professional bloggers. They have already published 50 blog posts in the current year with over 25,000 views which is an amazing achievement.
Why would you recommend someone to join Rotaract?
Rotaract provides you the opportunity to discover yourself. It helps you find your true potential and capabilities. The experience you get will definitely be worth. While Rotaract is about contributing to the society, what you get in return is much more. Rotaract helps add credibility to your CV and employers give a lot of consideration to your achievements as a Rotaractor.
What advice would you give the new members to make the most of being a Rotaractor?
Always give your 100%. Whatever task assigned to you deliver the best results. Be true to your goals and be fully committed. Don’t focus on awards and citations just focus on contributing to the society in the true spirit of Rotaract, awards will eventually follow. Learn to be a good team player and contribute in whatever way possible to every project.
What do you feel about your journey as a Rotaractor?
It has been a wonderful journey. A journey that provided a lot of learning and wonderful experiences and not to forget the milestones we achieved on the way. It was definitely a dream run for all of us and we equally cherished every moment of our Rotaract journey and we truly lived by our theme “Teamwork makes the dream work”.
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| 26th Rotaract District Assembly |
