Journey to the world beyond the boundaries - Lokaya Dakimu - Grama Prabodhaya

As written by Rtr. Nishika Silva,

Grama Prabodhaya is a project which was commenced by the Rotaract club of University of Moratuwa in order to create a platform to help rural villages in Sri Lanka with ardent difficulties. Subsequently the club has chosen Ranugalla, a little town in Monaragala district. Creating and making a difference in Ranugalla Kanishta Vidyalaya, the school of the village, is one of the primary things that the club has centered. With respect to that, the club has started and concluded different ventures. Since Ranugalla is a provincial town which is separated from the urban regions of the country, the individuals in that village have no idea about the world beyond their village. Thus, as a part of the project Grama Prabodhaya, the Rotaractors decided to bring the students of Ranugalla Kanishta Vidyalaya to Colombo as a one day trip. With the purpose to show these children that there is a different world beyond their imaginations, the project “Lokaya Dakimu” was born.

The fundamental objective of this project was to spend a day with the innocent children of Ranugalla Kanishta Vidyalaya and to give a smile to their faces. The club chose six different places in Colombo district to take the children. When choosing these places, the club gave special consideration to whether these places are of educational importance and whether the children can enjoy themselves by visiting these places. After some discussion, it was decided to take these children to Ratmalana airport, Independence Square, Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo Museum, Galle Face Green and Diyatha Uyana.

The project happened on the 26th of January 2018. 90 school children and 20 parents and teachers arrived to the university at around 8 a.m. in the morning. Then they were taken to the Ratmalana airport. Airports play a considerable role in economic development in a country. For that, it has been a great experience for the students to sight see an airport. The airport staff gave a massive support for the Rotaract club by showing around the premises. After that the students, parents and the teachers were taken to the Independence Square. It is a very beautiful place with historical value. It was built to mark the triumphant victory of gaining independence for Sri Lanka in 1948. This magnificent looking building is similar in form to Magul Maduwa in Kandy and it has a museum which can be visited by anyone throughout the day. The children were taken to this museum and by the feedback of the teachers, we concluded that it was a good decision to select Independence Square to take the children. Then, the children were taken to the Viharamahadevi Park and their lunch was provided to them. They were very thankful to have such a delicious meal after a long journey.

The next point of the trip was Colombo National Museum. Colombo museum is an ideal place to learn the history of our island. This visit was so vital for the students, as they have History as a main subject in school. After the visit to the museum, the students were occupied to Galle Face. It is an ocean-side urban park which is situated in the heart of Colombo. The children had an immense fun, running here and there and playing with their friends. As the last point, Rotaractors chose Diyatha Uyana, a park constructed next to Diyawanna Oya. Students, teachers and the parents had the chance to enjoy the beauty of that place
and the children got the chance to play with their friends. Some computers were donated to the school by Rtr. Anuradha, in collaboration with the project “Lokaya Dakimu”. Diyatha Uyana was the ending point of the journey.

It was a well spent day, not only for the students, but also for their teachers, parents and for the Rotaract club members too. The children got some good experiences and at the same time they had a massive fun by tripping around Colombo. It was indeed a ‘day to remember’.