i g e s t

hts D
Knig ecember 2018
r | D
al Newslette ights Offici
lombo Kn
eL o Club of Co
 Projects

1 Empower 1.0

2 Sow & So 1.0

3 Freshtopia 1.0
4 The Happiness Project 2.0

5 In remembrance 

6 Pahan Poojawa 

What's
in side?

1
 Message from the Club President

Leo Club of Colombo Knights is one of the most prestigious Leo clubs in the Leo District 306C2 as well as in
the Leo Multiple District 306, Sri Lanka. It inherits a short but great history filled with achievements, up and
downs and many other experiences that many can hardly imagine. Leo Club of Colombo Knights was
established in the year 2007 with the guidance and blessings of the Lions Club of Colombo Midcity, and the Leo
Sachindra Sirimanne who was lucky enough to host its charter presidency. It won title of Best Omega Leo Club
of 2014 in District C2 Conference.

The year 2017/18 was filled with many triumphs. Some of the most iconic projects were done in this particular
time period.  It was not because the club became the 1st Runners Up, but because we genuinely feel we were
able to contribute quite a lot to the society.  The awards were just a plus point and a motivating factor.  We
are really grateful to the contest evaluation team for having recognized our efforts.

Year 2018/19 is extraordinary and will be magnificent with a unique set of initiatives introduced to the Leo
movement. Going forward with our slogan for the year, "Empowering Innovation", we hope you stay up with us
on this wonderful journey.

Ramathi Gayara Rajapakshe

President 2018/19
2
 Empower 2.0
Empower is a series of workshops organized by the Leo Club of
Colombo Knights, conducted to give Leos, Prospective Leos, and Lions a
valuable insight to empowering qualities such as leadership,
entrepreneurship, and time management which are essential for
succeeding in today’s competitive world. Empower 2.0, the second
installment of the Empower series, follows the success of the Empower
1.0 forum and consisted of a session focused on entrepreneurship and
how to start an enterprise delivered by our valued speaker Mr. Harsha
Perera, an aspiring and successful entrepreneur who is the CEO at
AEMC Consultant (PVT) Ltd. The session was  followed by ‘WORK, LIFE,
LEO’, an interactive session on time management and guidance on
balancing life with work and Leoism, delivered by speaker Leo Amila
Wijegoonasekara, an esteemed and much experienced member of the
Leo Club of Colombo
Knights and who holds the position of Administration Coordinator of
District 306 C2.  

& So 1.0
Sow
The initiative of project ‘Sow and Sow’ is to implement the concept of
seed balls, which is an extremely efficient method of planting as it
requires no labor, is inexpensive and effective. Forest cover is being
depleted rapidly due to deforestation, moreover most of individuals are
unable to tend to their own personal gardens to plant more trees or
crops due to their tightly packed schedules. The seed balls technique
involves the plant seeds being balled into concoction of clay, and
nutrients essential for the seeds to grow, and all that is required is the
seed ball simply be placed where you wish the plant to grow. The project
is to be conducted in partnership with ‘Green World’ for the first time in
Sri Lanka. 

With this initiative we can strive for a greener Sri Lanka, as it is not
labor intensive and has a high success rate. The seed balls technique is
unique as plants essentially grow themselves minimizing the need for
individuals to constantly tend to them, which in today’s busy world, is
impractical for many.

3
 The Happiness Project 2.0
The Happiness Projects are series of projects conducted to address the
shortcomings of opportunity and facilities received by children of rural
regions and poor communities, and to provide these young kids with
happiness and joy and experiences they will never forget. The second
installment of the Happiness Project was conducted by the Leo Club of
Colombo Knights with the participation of club members, visiting Leos,
prospective members and council members.
The project was carried out at the Dryton Estate in Hatton and the
project objective is to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere for the
children at the estate by having organized  a Christmas party by bringing
in music, games, tasty treats followed by a handing out of presents by
Santa, a tea party and sing along opportunities for the kids to enjoy. The
children were presented with much needed stationary items and school
equipment, to facilitate their start to the new school year. The project was
conducted on the 22nd of December for over 25 children. 

Freshtopia 1.0
Freshtopia, a project to initiate the concept of maintaining a
“Community Garden”, a common space in which individuals of a
community come together to cultivate their own crops, and share their
knowledge and expertise on cultivating different crops, and plants rather
than maintaining many individual gardens. A community garden would
prove ideal for those who may not have enough space in their homes to
maintain a garden, or for those who are hindered by their hectic
schedules and cannot find the time for activities such as gardening. A
community garden would enable the members of the community to
obtain a variety of fresh, healthy and organic produce by inexpensive
means. Thus making it affordable and since it does not involve the use of
harmful chemicals in cultivating these crops, it is far healthier and
beneficial. In addition, a common place for individuals with a shared
passion for fresh organic produce to come together for community
gardening would enable them to work together, share their knowledge
on different methods of cultivation, and would help foster a connected
community.

4
 In Remembrance

December 26, 2004. A day of shock and grief enveloped the nation, when
an Indian Ocean earthquake of 9.3 magnitude resulted in a tsunami that
devoured the coastal regions of Sri Lanka, claiming more than 35 000
lives and injuring a further 21 000 people. Thousands were displaced and
forced out of their homes, and irrecoverable damage to their homes and
property meant that they were left homeless.
December 26 th 2018 marked the fourteen years since the devastating
incident.
The Leo Club of Colombo Knights initiated the ‘In Remembrance’, where
participants lit an oil lamp in memory of those who lost their lives, their
families and the many more who were displaced by the disastrous
consequences of the 2004 tsunami.

Pahan Poojawa
A Pahan Pooja is to be conducted by the Leo Club of Colombo Knights at
the Gangaramaya Temple, on the 31 st of December with Leos, Lions,
friends and family in attendance. The objective of the Pooja is to come
together to gather blessings for the upcoming year of 2019 by
participating in religious observances, to mark a peaceful and
memorable start to the New Year.

5
 amazing
n
It was a

month!

Our sincere gratitude to all our

Leos and the district/multiple
dignitaries for helping &
participating for the projects! 

6
 Note
tor's
Edi

Dear Leos,

Leoism is a journey.

Being a Leo is to be a leader, a mentor, to inspire and to build. Another glorious month
in the 2018/2019 Leoistic year has passed leaving behind yet another host of wonderful
memories made, and relationships built. We reach out to the community with our
meaningful projects, aimed to serve a purpose in today’s world. As Leos we put in our
time, effort, and hard work to make all of this possible and that’s what makes it special!
Hats off to all of you who have worked hard to make all if this a possibility! As another
month passes, another awaits to come and to bring us more opportunities with it.
Thank you and wishing you a great month ahead!

Leo Guwani Kahapola Arachchi