Visit of Asker Scouts!

While Hiking

This Easter has been somewhat special for the YMCA of Pamunugama as there were visitors from YMCA YWCA Scout Group in Asker - Norway. Group was consisted of 11 including one Rover, 7 boy scouts, 3 leaders.
Group landed at Bandaranayake International Airport on 2nd April Morning and left during the midnight on 8th April. Group was welcomed by the YMCA of Pamunugama at the Welcome Dinner held on 2nd April at the YMCA premises. During their stay on 2nd and 3rd April they spent time with Guides, Scouts and Children's Club members and attended a campfire on the Beach.
On 4th April group visited the 29th Asia Pasific Scout Jamboree in Dambulla. Following the visit to Jamboree group went on a Hike at Pitawalapathana area where they got the opportunity to live with a rural Sri Lankan family. Further, group spent two days in Wasgamuwa area looking for Wild Animals on a safari. It was interesting for the group to see wild Elephants and some wild animals in a Sri Lankan Sanctuary.
Before the departure on 8th midnight group gathered with few local YMCA members at Ridma's house for the Farewell Dinner.
YMCA of Pamunugama thank the Asker Scouts for coming down to Sri Lanka for a visit and always appreciate their friendship!


Fore more pictures and more details try the links!
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=no&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Faskerspeiderne.no
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=no&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Faskerspeiderne.no

YMCA hosted a Sunday School Prefects Training

Responding to a special invitation made by the Parish Priest of Thalahena, Mr. Aruna Santha Nonis conducted a Leadership Training Programme for a 20 member group of Prefects of the Thalahena Sunday School (Daham Pasala). Programme was held at the YMCA of Pamunugama on Wednesday 7th March, 2012 at the Main Hall of the YMCA.


Programme included number of activities and discussion which addressed the different aspects of leadership. Three teachers of the Sunday School also joined the programme accompanying the prefects.

Friends from Asker Soon in Sri Lanka

Rolf and the Group from the first visit

Group of YMCA YWCA Scouts from Asker in Norway will visit the YMCA Pamunugama and Sri Lanka from 2nd April - 9th April, 2012. Asker YMCA YWCA Scout group is a close friend of the YMCA Pamunugama since 2005. They have visited Pamunugama YMCA in 3 occasions and this will be the forth.


As in the previous occasion, the group will be led by Rolf Falchenberg, the leader of Asker Scouts group. There will be 11 scouts including 2 girls. One of them will be Liv Helena, the sister of our two good friends, Jon Viggo and Haakon from previous visits. Our current general Secretary Ridma was well taken care of by Jon Viggo and his family and Rolf when he was sick before his return back to Sri Lanka last year.


During their stay Asker scouts will spend time with Pamunugama YMCA scouts, guides and other members. They will also visit the Asian and Pacific Scout Region Jamboree in Dambulls and the Vilpattu National Park.  

Kids on tour

Members of the Children's Club, Scouts and guides of the YMCA of Pamunugama and its Wattala programme center went on an educational trip to Kandy on 11 February, 2012. There were altogether 49 children accompanied by 6 leaders for the trip. 


Group visited, Tea Musium, Dalada Maligawa, War Cemetery and Gannoruwa Agricultural Center during their trip. Meanwhile children enjoyed the tour with singing and dancing on the way and return as well. As a follow-up of the trip the children's club members were given a questioner to answer and they were asked to make a map of the tour as an assignment on the children's Club.

Training for Prefect

YMCA of Pamunugama organized a one-day Leadership Programme for 50 prefects of the Pitipana Maha Vidyalaya on 25^th February, 2012 at the YMCA Main Hall. Programme was organized on a special request made by the principal and the staff of the school.

Different aspects of leadership were covered during the day with a special focus on the role of a school prefect. Mr. Aruna Santha Nonis led the morning session on identifying the role of prefect while the youth leaders of the YMCA of Pamunugama conducted few activities to practically experience the leadership qualities required to lead a team for a common goal.

After the Lunch Ms. Sriyani Munasinghe (Programme Coordinator of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka) led a session on Sexually Transmitted Diseases with a special focus on HIV Aids. Prefects speaking at the end of the programme mentioned that this was the first training for most of the prefects and the knowledge they gained will be helpful for their leadership career.  

Oslo ICYs in Sri Lanka

With Farmers

Three Internationally Committed Youth (ICY) delegates (Ola, Angela and Kristoffer) from Oslo ICY group visit to Sri Lanka from 29 December, 2011 to 14 January, 2012. This visit is a result of the ongoing Exchange Programme between ICY Pamunugama and ICY Oslo groups. 
During the visit three delegates visited the service Centers of Pamunugama YMCA in Gomarankadawela and Ottichchakulama. During their visit they learnt how the economic and environmental justice issues have effected the poor farmers in Sri Lanka. Visitors spent a night in a small house belong to a farmer in a village bordered to the jungle getting the experience of real life situation of farmers in Sri Lanka.

Meeting at Matara YMCA

Then the ICY delegates visited YMCA of Matara to have an ICY promotion meeting. During their visit they explained the objective and activities of the ICY programme. Angela and Christopher gave details about a programme they participated in Africa. It was called  “Caravan” which took around 150 youth from African countries, USA, UK and Norway from Kenya to south Africa educating masses on the effects of climate changes. On their way they collected about 2000 petitions from people of different countries and organised concerts in passing down the message of effects of climatic changes.

Final event of the visit was a brainstorming meeting at National Council of YMCAs Sri Lanka office on climate. Number of ideas on climate justice and possible interventions were discussed at that meeting as both ICY groups are going to focus on Climate Justice activities during the new year.