සෙනෙහසේ දැහැන

‘Senehase Dahana’ was a novel project organized by the Rotaract Club of University of Peradeniya and Rotaract club of University Alumni. It was originally planned to be held as a spend-the-day program at the Jayawikrama children’s home in Kandy. The Jayawikrama children’s home provides protection for 25 young girls in the age of 6 to 20. The organizing committee decided to choose this place as their venue out of over 10 suggestions, becasue it was situated slightly separated from the urban area and was most likely to receive less donations.

The initial plan was to visit the orphanage with a group of members from both clubs, to spend a day while doing joyful activities with the children, and to offer them a delicious meal. The organizing committee was informed by the matron of the orphanage regarding their desired donations.

Though a group of 20 people were permitted to participate in the final event and the playdate, the plans were cancelled as the pandemic situation became critical. Finally, 3 members, representing the organizing committee of the Rotaract Club of University of Peradeniya and 2 members representing the organizing committee from the Rotaract club of University Alumni, paid a brief visit to the Jayawikrama children’s home and donated items requested that had been requested by the orphanage. The playdate and the meal were postponed.

The donation included a set of large, colour-coded dustbins for proper waste management at the orphanage. This will encourage eco-friendly waste disposal practices among children as well. Other items included many groceries requested by the orphanage and some confectionary including chocolate and biscuits for children.

One of the key objectives of the project was uplifting the welfare of children in the orphanage. Secondly, strengthening the fellowship between the members of the organizing committee was focused as an objective. Thirdly, the OC focused on influencing the society and the youth to engage in these types of volunteer activities and projects, while overcoming complications which we face due to the global pandemic crisis. The importance of showing the world that unity can be created despite the social distance was another objective of this project.

By organizing a spend-a-day program, the organizing committees from both clubs expected to uphold the mental state of the community in the orphanage, as well as organizing committee members themselves. This objective was to bring a change to children in the orphanage who were isolated from the world due to the social distancing and pandemic policies.