Pamunugama YMCA ends 2017 with new hopes for New Year - Members Get-together

Members of Pamunugam YMCA celebrated the work of the year 2017 at the members get-together  held on 22 December, 2017 at the YMCA. 

Members enjoyed the BBQ diner with karaoke singing, dances and fun games.

It was a great opportunity for both youth and adult members to mingle with each other. Programme ended with a prayer wishing Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to each other.

Pamunugama YMCA Year End Annual Concert Held Colorfully

Year End Annual Concert is the peak event of the Pamunugama YMCA Children's Programmes. This year's concert was held on 10 December 2017 at the YMCA Main Hall with a large audience of around 250. There were 23 items in the concert where the Pre School kids, Children's Club Members, Scouts, Guides and Youth performed dances and drama and carol singing.

It was a great opportunity for the children of Pamunugama YMCA to showcase their talents in-front of a large crowd. Mr. Derek Ross-Meredith the Director of Come-Share Foundation was the special guest of the event. Board members and several distinguish guests were among the invitees.

Pamunugama YMCA thank all the parents, pre-school teachers, youth members and all the members who supported to make this event a colorful one. According to the comments of the audience the kids performed really well and the event was a success.

Stay of Peace Makers from Sunnfjord Folk High School in Sri Lanka

In Hatton

The programme for the students of  Peacemaker Class of SFHS, Norway  was designed and conducted for 11 students for a period of one and half months (approximately 50 days) in Sri Lanka. The purpose of having this programme is to give experiences to young students to become peacemakers wherever they live in. Sri Lanka was identified by SFHS as the venue for this visit in order to create space and opportunities for the students to understand and learn its realities in connection with pre-war, war and post war situation, different social, cultural, religious and economic realities.  

The 50 days prograamme in Sri Lanka was designed based on following main thematic areas. 1. Contemporary social realities in Sri Lanka 2. War, reconciliation and peace,  3. Poverty, human rights and good governance . 4. Youth , Women and Children 5. Tea Plantation Community in Sri Lanka and their lives 6. Kamman Folk High School 7. Farming and Environmental Issues 8. Village family life 9. Religion and religious practices 10. Students and education 11. Sightseeing and holidays

Here are the voices of Peacemaker Class students: 

Helping villagers to clean Pamunugama beach

• “The world is much more unfair than I thought and this is the time for a change” 
• “I have seen a lot of differences within the country by myself” 
• “I have learned so much more about myself and discovered the side didn’t even know I had” 
• “ People are suffering and subjected to many hardships. The hardships are  more than I thought” 
•  “ Sri Lanka is a beautiful country , may be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.” 
• “ I  have to work to change the differences in the world. I am a different person and I have a different way of thinking now.” 
• “Peace is not just ABSENCE of WAR, It has many dimensions” 
• “I never experienced this much in my life. This made me a better person and a STRONG person” 



During the Farewell Dinner

• “I realized how little effort is needed for a CHANGE.”  

YMCA of Pamunugama thank Ms Jorun Knapstad and Dilanka Fernando of Sunnfjord Folk High School for choosing the YMCA of Pamunugama as their partner in this programme and the staff (Aruna and Priyan) for being responsible in facilitating the programme.   

(Summery taken from the Final Report of the Coordinator, Mr. Aruna Nonis)

Great evening with young people

After the World Wee of Prayer programmes the youth members of Pamunugama YMCA spent the evening together. They played Kubb on beach and had dinner together. It was a wonderful evening with a lot of joy and peace.

World Week of Prayer Programe at Pamunugama YMCA

Members of Pamunugama YMCA had two events to mark the YMCA YWCA world week of prayer. First the youth members had their monthly online bible study meeting with the members of Munich YMCA. Later youth members together with adult members had another spiritual gathering. For both meetings the the World Week of Prayer reading meterial was used.

YMCA Celebrates the Universal Children's Day

Pamunugama YMCA organized the universal children;s day celebration programme for the children's club members at the YMCA of Pamunugama on 08 October, 2017. 

38 children's club members attended the event and 8 trained youth leaders of Pamunugama YMCA led activities of the day. 

Team building games, fun activities, challenge games, puzzle games and a boat trip were among them. Pamunugama YMCA always gives priority to children as it is a platform of crating YMCA leaders as well as responsible citizens. 

Puzzle game

Lagoon trip

Happy moments

Dart game

Pre School Vegetable Fair

Pre School kids had their annual fundraising vegetable fair  on 07 September 2017. Kids dressed-up as vegetable vendors and sold vegetables to villagers with the support of the teachers and parents. 

While having the experience of a vegetable fair kids managed to raise sum funds for their annual concert to be held at the end of the year. 

This event is an annual event of the Pre School of Pamunugama YMCA.

Peace Makers from Farde are in Sri Lanka

Home for next two months - Pamunugama YMCA

12 young students (9 girls and 2 boys) from the Peace Maker Class of Sunnfjord Folk High School in Forde in Norway arrived in Sri Lanka on 24 September, 2017 for a two month field study trip. Group was officially welcomed by Pamunugama YMCA (Local partner for the trip) on 25th September with a welcome dinner.

Before starting their field study trips, they were equipped with knowledge on Sri Lanka specially related Peace and Reconciliation and Justice issued in the Post-war Sri Lankan context on 26th and 27th September 2017 through a dialogue led by Mr. Ainsley Joseph and the leaders of Pamunugama YMCA. Mr. Ainsley is a well-known activist and a journalist in Sri Lanka. 

Meeting with Mr. Ainsley

On 28th the group visited Boys Town at Diyagala, Ragama where spent the day with young people training under different vocational training programes offered by Boys Town. These young people come from economically marginalized families in Sri Lanka. On 29 September morning six members of the group spent time with Pamunugama YMCA Pre-School while the other five went to Negombo YMCA to sped time with Pre-School kids. In the evening the entire group joined Negombo YMCA for a meeting with the members of Negombo YMCA. 

On 01 October, group left for Hatton for their first study trip where they will engage with tea estate community. During their first trip they will learn about the social, economic and political issues faced by the estate community in Sri Lanka. During their stay they will travel to different parts of Sri Lanka visiting different groups engaging in field work, work camps and nature activities.

With youth at Boys Town

Welcome Dinner

Painting with Pre-School kids

Happy times with little once

Ape Sindu Patiya 2017

"Ape Sindu Patiya" (Our singing Party) is the annual fundraising event of the YMCA of Pamunugama. This year the party was held at Bethani Function Home on 26th August 2017. As usual the event was full of singing, dancing and fun activities.

There were around 120 YMCA friends and well-wishes attended the party. Mr. Roxy Fernando who is a long standing friend of Pamunugama YMCA was the chief guest of the event while Mr. Nirmal De Fonseka, the National President of National Council of the YMCAs of Sri Lanka graced the event as a special guest. There was a singing star competition and Mr. Nuwan Sameera became the YMCA singing star with most votes by the participating crowd. 

Pamunugama YMCA thank all the YMCA friends who supported the event by publishing an advertisement in the song book, displaying a banner, buying a song book, giving financial contributions and helping in various ways to make the event a success. Pamunugama YMCA specially thank the task committee led by Mr. Aruna Nonis and all the Board Members who helped immensely to make the evening a joyful one.

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Holiday Camp for Pamunugama YMCA children's Club members

During the month of August, children (students) enjoy their longest vacation. To make the school holidays more attractive, Pamunugama YMCA organized a holiday camp for the children members. They had the camp on 16 and 17th of August at the Pamunugama YMCA grounds. Different group games, campfire, putting up tents, cooking, bible study sessions and sleeping in tents were the highlights of the event. 20 children members took part in the camp and the different activities were led by trained youth leaders of Pamunugama YMCA.

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Training for Pamunugama YMCA Board Members and Programme Leaders

Pamunugama YMCA organized a 2 day training programme for the board members and programme leaders from 21-23 July, 2017 at New Holiday Bungalow Diyathalawa. Group arrived at Diyathalawa on 21st evening. Next day started with a morning devotion and followed-up with a Question and answer session which helped the leaders to learn more about YMCA history, vision, mission and responsibilities of a YMCA leader. Next session was about the YMCA identity in our lives. Then the group had a long discussion about local issues in the community where Pamunugama YMCA exists and worked out a plan to response some of the issues. Next day group left Diyathalawa and returned home after having a site-seeing trip to Adisam Bungalow at Haputale.