A Journey of Learning, Leadership, and Hope

Hand in Hand is one of the flagship community service projects organized by the Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa. Since 2014, the project has brought Rotaractors together to support children and patients affected by cancer through fundraising and community service initiatives. Every contribution made during our fundraising campaigns helps make these initiatives possible, from organizing activities for children undergoing treatment to supporting hospitals with donations that improve patient care.

This year, I had the opportunity to serve as one of the Co-chairs of Hand in Hand, and it became an experience that taught me far more than I expected.

To be honest, I had no idea of being a Co-chair. But I didn't want to miss the opportunity, so I decided to give it a try and I'm really glad I did.

Although we were brought in at short notice, the two Directors of the Community Service Avenue, the three of us as Co-chairs, and everyone else involved had to plan and prepare phase 01 within a limited time. It was few busy weeks, but seeing everything gradually come together made me realize how much planning happens behind the scenes before a project even begins.

During the preparation stage, I learned how to organize tasks, manage deadlines, and work with the Public Relations and Editorial teams to get flyers, promotional videos, and captions approved before publishing them. I also learned how volunteer recruitment worked and how everyone contributed to making the project successful. Whenever someone became busy, someone else stepped in to help. That teamwork was one of the things I appreciated the most throughout the project.

Phase 01 was our fundraising campaign at the BMICH, Colombo Shopping Festival-Summer Fair, where we sold stickers and wristbands while collecting donations for Hand in Hand. Even though we had only a small stall, every person who stopped by reminded us that even a small contribution could make a big difference.

As a Co-chair, I helped coordinate volunteers, answered their questions, and made sure everything ran smoothly during the three days. I also got my first experience handling the project's budget, including transport costs of stall equipment, and meals for volunteers. It taught me to be responsible and organized while working under pressure.

One thing that made all the hard work worthwhile was seeing what we achieved together. Despite having only, a short time to prepare, we managed to raise more funds than the previous three-day Summer Fair fundraising campaign held in July. It was a proud moment for everyone involved and showed what a committed team can accomplish.

Looking back, I also made many new friendships with volunteers who gave their time simply because they wanted to support children and families affected by cancer. Their compassion and enthusiasm made every long day worthwhile.

Hand in Hand gave me much more than a leadership experience. It taught me how to work with people, communicate better, solve problems, and how handle responsibility. More importantly, it showed me how meaningful it is to work together for a cause that is bigger than us. Looking back now, I'm grateful that I took the opportunity, because it became one of the most valuable experiences I've had so far.