Pamunugama organized the Regional Camp

YMCA of Pamunugama was given the opportunity by the National Council of YMCAs to organize the Regional Camp which was successfully completed from recently from 29^th August to 1 September. Camp was organized for the YMCA scouts in the Western, Southern and North Central province. Five groups joint the camp held atAlagollewa (biggest Christian village in the North Central Province). Alagollewa was chosen for the camp as a result of connections YMCA of Pamunugama had with the Alagollewa community. 

Scouts were given the opportunity to sleep outside in the tents and scouts enjoyed meeting new friends from different groups and living outside doing outdoor scouts activities. Scouts got the chance to play, sing and learn scout techniques including knots, rally rules, whistle commands and so many other camp rules.

Theme of the camp was “Disciplined Scouts for YMCA Future Leadership”. Scouts learnt how to practice as good scouts under the guidance of leaders. Most interesting event of the camp was the hike to the Ritigala Mountain. Scouts had a tough time climbing with a bag of sand as a support for the newly coming up Stupa on the top of the mountain. But scouts felt good once they reached the top through narrow tracks and the jungle on either sides of the tracks.

Leadership Training for Hendala Youth

Pamunugama YMCA believes that the youth are the once who has to take the YMCA movement forward from today not  from tomorrow as many people say that the youth are the future. There were 14 young people gathered at the Mirigama Scout Campsite from 12 – 14 August to learn about the YMCA and ICY activities and the qualities that require to become YMCA leaders.

Programme started on 12^th Friday evening with an introduction and a discussion on the objectives of the event. Saturday the 13^th August morning, youth were given an introduction to the YMCA including the history, structure and the today’s dynamics of the movement.  Afterwards group went through a chain of activities which led to a discussion on leadership and qualities that a leader has to improve. It was emphasized that the motto of the World Alliance of YMCAs is “That they all may be one” and it is the duty of the YMCA youth leaders take the movement towards unity through their involvement in the movement.

After the lunch on Saturday there was a quiz competition and a debate which broke the shackles of some of the participants who did not want to talk much at the beginning. After dinner the group spent some quality time listening to few songs that communicate great messages about social justice and love.

Sunday the 14^th was the last day of the programme. Group discussed about their future plans for the year and tried to synchronize with the ICY plans for the year and agreed for a common programme. Apart of the ICY events group agreed to conduct a book fare to mark the Literature month in September and a “Sramadana” in November to clean the cemetery and a Christmas programme in December.

Programme was led by Pramudu, Ridma and Shelton the president of Pamunugama YMCA and Sangeetha the Hendala Programme Branch Coordinator extended her fullest support by arranging the practical matters.

Youth discuss on Media

30 youth from YMCA of Pamunugama, Hendala Programme Branch and nearby schools attended a one day workshop on youth and media. This was organized by the ICY group of the YMCA of Pamunugama on 30 July, 2011 and Mr. Siyon De Alvis a senior consultant facilitated the day. Objective of this event was to educate young people on how the media challenges young people with their economic and political agendas. Further it was mentioned that a media has to be responsible and able to create a change in the situation they deal in order to become a social media. Mr. Siyon took few examples from how the media mislead the youth in Sri Lanka today.

Mr. Siyon challenged the participants to be analytical when we receive information through media and to use media in every possible way to create a change in the situation specially within organizations like YMCA.

This event gave the opportunity to promote the work of the YMCA among the students who joint this programme as their first YMCA event. We believe this was just an opening to continue the discuss n the same in a wider and bigger scale.

YMCA team visits service centres in the dry zone

YMCA team visits  service centres in the dry zone.

5 YMCA leaders including the President, General Secretary and 4 youth visited Gomarankadawela and Alagollewa areas in connection with the following programmes from 9 - 11 July, 2011.

Demonstrating the Pedal Pump

1. Introducing Pedal Pump to farmers

YMCA of Pamunugama is in the process of supporting farmers in Ottachchakulama and Alagollewa areas who are restarting their livelihoods after the war which lasted for 3 decades. With the support of Don Bosco Institute Pedal Pump was introduced to farmers in the villages of Alagollewa and Ottachchakulama which will enable them to irrigate their agricultural activities. 

2. Organising a YMCA group at Alagollewa

Meeting with villagers at Alagollewa

At the request of Fr. Mahendran an introduction to the YMCA was made for the village Community of Alagollewa. The villagers were enthusiastic and expressed their willingness to start a YMCA in the village and a committee headed by Mr. Robert was appointed to organise the would be members.

3. Starting scouting at Alagollewa.

Fr. Damian Fernando, the Principal of Alagollewa school requested for assistance in introducing scouting for the students. Accordingly a training session for the students was conducted for the students to understand the preliminaries in scouting. 30 students participated.

4. Monitor programmes at Ottachchakulama

Agricultural activities.

The farmers whose efforts were washed out due to floods at the beginning of the year have restarted their activities with renewed hopes and requested the YMCA to help them in completing the work on two agricultural wells.

Agricultural wells

Two wells were dug  and need to be completed with the brick work. The YMCA will have to raise funds for the purpose.

Construction of Community hall

Community Hall

The construction of the community hall has reached the roof level. Once the roof is in place  the farmers will have their own place for their meetings and other common programmes.

5. Educational Programmes at Gomarankadawela

The classes for Maths, Science and English are been continued for the O/L students of the schools at Sinhapura, Kiwulekada and Madawachchiya. A new programme for teaching English for the students of Grade 3 and 4 has been introduced recently at the same schools.

6. Scouting in Kiwulekada school

The scouting started at Kiwulekada school is progressing and in this matter the Scout Master at the Madawachchiya school is extending his support.

7. House repair at Horowpothana and Madawachchiya

House to be repaired

18 houses damaged by the floods in Horowpothana and Madawachchiya have been selected to be repaired. The repair work has been started and soon the affected families will have a roof over their heads.

Rev. Sumanasara Theto and Rev. Piyarathana Thero are extending their fullest corporation and support in this programme.

8. Assist Alagollewa school

At the request of the Principal of Alagollewa school, Fr. Damian Fernando, the YMCA assisted the school to have its electricity connection enabling the students to acquire computer knowledge. All this time they were denied of this facility as the computer lab has been kept closed for want of electricity.

YMCA Introduces Organic Farming

National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka (NCYSL) is in the process of introducing a project on Sustainable Agriculture. YMCA of Pamunugama together with YMCA of Rambukkana, Pandithirippu and Mandur will implement the project on behalf of the NCYSL.

An introduction programme to the project was held on 25 - 26 June, 2011 at the YMCA with the participation of 13 representatives from above YMCAs and Mr. Sarath Fernando a specialist on sustainable agriculture from (MONLAR) joint the programme as a resource person to share his knowledge on organic agricultural methods and negative effects from non organic farming. Project activities to be started from 1st of July and Mr. Asela Madulanka will coordinate the project on behalf of the YMCA of Pamunugama.

Mr. Prasanna the Exsecutive Secretary of the National Council of YMCAs coordinated the programme and Mr. Lakshan Dias the General Secretary attended the programme as a guest at the opening ceremony.

ICYs to share knowledge with each other

3 participants who has been selected for the Global Week and TT (Exchange in Norway) were given the challenge to lead a session on current social issues that has irrupted in Sri Lanka and in the global level at the moment. 3 participants shared their views on 3 topics together with youth club members.

Following is a summery of what was shared by them.

Nisala –  Global Warming; Gave an in introduction to global warming and emphasized on the negative consequences to the developing world due to Global Warming. He spoke about carbon emition and deforestration as main reasons for global warming. Further he spoke about the posible negative consequences due to glazier melting. He mention a little about the economic aspect of global warming and how the developed warld contributes to the global warming. Nisala mentioned that it is important to start finding solutions from very local level and as individuals. He took some examples from local climate changes in our area and he took the changes in the rain seasons in our area as an example.

Pramudu – Sitiation in the Free Trade Zone; Pramudu started his reflection with a song sang by Sunil Edirisinghe on the hardships of workers in the Free Trade Zones in Sri Lanka. He spoke about the reason uprise of the workers against the Pentione Bill that was taken up at the Parlianment. He spoke about the disadvantages for the warkers if this bill is going to be approved by the parlianment. He shared some of the insights of the reason incident (conflit between the polica and the workers) that occurred in the Free Trade Zone.

Shivankara – Situation in Palestine; Shivankara shared the history on the conflict in Palestine in brief. Further he mentioned how the Juice people expanded Israel landwise and spoke a little bit on settlements. Further Shivankara spoke on the hardships that people in Palestine go through in their daily lives. He mentioned on the check points, uprooting of olive trees which effect the economy in Palestine. Shivankara further mentioned the international aspects of this conflict including the role of America relation to the issue in Palestine. 

Other youth members raised questions at the gathering and the latter part of the programme was held as an open discussion. Objectives of this event was to develop the presentation skills of the 3 Exchange participants while creating an interest among the participated youth for further involvement with ICY activities relate to discussed issues.