Big Day for Pamunugama YMCA Scouts

19 young boys attached to the YMCA of Pamunugama received the membership of the World Scout Movement at the investiture ceremony held on 24.10.2018 at the YMCA of Pamunugama. YMCA of Pamunugama is the first YMCA scout group in Sri Lanka and active since 2002. 

Due to various reasons Scouts did not have the world movement membership even though they were active doing scout activities. During the ceremony scouts were awarded with the World Scout Badge confirming their membership in the world movement and the Sri Lanka Scout Movement badge confirming their affiliation to the Sri Lanka Scouts Association. 

Parents of the Scouts, Girl Guides and the leaders of Pamunugama YMCA were present to witness this special occasion. We thank the leaders and staff who worked with the leadership of Scout Leader Dhanuka to achieve this special moment. We also thank our friends of Asker YMCA YWCA Scout Group for being with us and encouraging us by providing various support including funds for scout uniforms and etc for the scouts.

Awareness Building Programme for Illegal Drug Prevention Group

Member's of the Drug Prevention Group had their first training programme on 24. 10. 2018. This was organized to raise the awareness of the group members themselves on Drug issue and to agree upon the next activities of the group. 16 members of the group attended this awareness Building Programme which held in the meeting room of the YMCA of Pamunugama.  

First session of the programme was led by Sub Inspector (S.I.)Marasinghe the officer in-charge of the Crime Division of Dungalpitiya Police Station. During his session S.I. Marasinghe gave an introduction to different types of Drugs, how people get addicted to illegal drugs and how to identify those who use them. Further he mentioned that the main reason behind the rising number of crimes are due to illegal drug addiction. He also mentioned that punishments and fines for drug dealers and users are very light in the Sri Lankan law which makes it difficult for the police and other legal entities to prevent this vastly spreading issue. According to S.I. Marasinghe, the best way to protect young people from illegal drugs is to keep them educated on the consequences of illegal drug usage and to rehabilitate those who have already affected. SI Marasinghe thanked the group and the YMCA for coming forward voluntarily to stand against this issue and assured his and his team's fullest support in future. 

Then group had a discussion on future plans and agreed the following;
1. to take actions to direct those who are already addicted to rehabilitation centers with the support of their families
2. conduct a camp for a group of young people during the month of December and to widely educate them as an action of prevention.
YMCA of Pamunugama thank Dungalpitiya Police for providing resorce persons for this programme and all the members who participated this programme and for agreeing to work together in the future.

Quiz competition for Children's Club

Pamunugama YMCA organized a quiz competition for the members of children's club on 14. 10. 2018. There were 4 teams and each team consisted of 7 members. 

In the first round 20 common  questions based on geography, science, entertainment, sports, politics and culture were asked and participants had to answer in groups. In the second round groups were given the opportunity to select 8 questions which they had to answer in their own groups. Fifteen questions were thrown to the participants during the third round and they were based on biblical knowledge. 

Group No. 2 led by Dinada Suhansith won the second place, while the Group No 4 led by Sahan Rashmika won the first place. Winners were awarded with certificates. 

Makalause Dream - School for Specially Abled Students!

Education is a right of every human being under the article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Further, it states that the elementary education shall be compulsory and free at fundamental stages. Unfortunately, in the developing world, the situation is otherwise and this precious right is being deprived for many. When consider the right to education for children with functional difficulties the situation is worse.

According to the latest Sri Lankan government census of the year 2012 the number of people with functional difficulties in Sri Lanka are 1,617,924. By now, the number may have increased considerably. Sri Lanka being a developing country facing various economical constrains, the facilities and the opportunities extended to people with functional difficulties remain minimum.

In the above context, the “Malkalaue Dream School” is an initiative by the YMCA of Pamunugama in collaboration with YMCA/YWCA Scouts of Bronnoysund and Y Global in Norway to ensure the right to education for Specially Abled Students in Sri Lanka. At the initial stage, 15 students will be benefited and receive services during weekdays at this school which is scheduled to be launched in the month of November, 2018.

While assuring the right to education, integrating these specially abled students with the society also a major objective of this initiative. Activities such as culture, sports and scouting will play a major role among other classroom activities in the process of social integration. As things progresses, we look forward to mingle the students with the other children and youth who participate in other regular YMCA activities and events. We all look forward to the novel experience of working with these specially blessed children.

Children's Day celebrations at Pamunugama YMCA

Children's Club members had a camp on 06 and 07 October, 2018 to celebrate the Children's Day at the YMCA of Pamunuagama. 24 members of the Children's Club participated the camp and youth leaders of Pamunugama YMCA led the camp by conducting games and a talent show. Children also watched a filmed in the evening and slept over at the YMCA of Pamunugama.