Fight against Dengue - pediatric ultrasound scannerWhen lives are at stake, every moment counts.
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RCCM Board for 2026 - 2027Introducing the new board for Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan Rotary Year 2026 - 2027 |
Rotary District 3220 Awards Night✨ A Night of Celebration and Gratitude! ✨  The Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan was honored to receive over 16 awards at the recent Rotary District 3220 Awards Night—a true reflection of the passion, commitment, and teamwork that drives our club forward.Among the many recognitions were: 🏆 Club Excellence – Silver Award 🏆 Effective President – Silver Award (Well done, President Roshan) 🏆 Most Outstanding District Official – Platinum Award (Congratulations, Past President Dinali) …and many more! We are incredibly grateful to our generous donors, who make our service projects possible, and to the dynamic members of our club who work tirelessly to create meaningful impact. All in all, it was a fun and inspiring evening celebrating service, fellowship, and the power of collective action. Here’s to continuing the good work—with gratitude, purpose, and heart. 💙💛 (June 2025)
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Sunshine Games 2025 🌟 Sunshine Games 2025 – A Celebration of Talent and Determination! 🌟 The Rotary Club’s annual Sunshine Games was held on February 15, 2025, bringing together an incredible 951 participants from 24 schools for an unforgettable day of sports and camaraderie. This year’s event featured an impressive 129 sporting events, giving children with special needs a platform to showcase their skills, determination, and enthusiasm. It was truly heartwarming to witness the joy and sportsmanship displayed by these incredible young athletes. Their resilience and passion continue to inspire us all! A heartfelt thank you to all the participants, teachers, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who made this event possible. Your unwavering support and encouragement create a lasting impact in promoting inclusivity and empowerment through sports. We look forward to another memorable Sunshine Games next year! (Feb 17, 2025)  |
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🎅 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Our Metro Family! 🎄 Wishing everyone a joyful and peaceful holiday season! This Christmas, we had the privilege of spreading some extra cheer at the CCC House Children’s Christmas Party. 🎉✨ We sponsored a magical show for the kids, filled with wonder, laughter, and smiles! 🧙♂️🎩 It was an unforgettable day, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to bring some holiday magic into their lives. A huge thank you to everyone who supported this event, making it a special celebration for these amazing children. Together, we’re creating magical moments and brighter futures. 💙🌟 (Dec 25, 2024) |
School Supplies Handover We are thrilled to share that, thanks to the generous support from all of you at the recent Dialog Enterprise Rotary Metro Par 3 Golf Tournament held at the Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC), we were able to put some of the funds raised to good use!   Last week, we had the privilege of handing out school supplies to the children of our dedicated caddies, ensuring they have the tools to succeed in their education.   A huge thank you to all the golfers, sponsors, and volunteers who made this event a success, and to everyone who continues to support the life-changing work of Rotary. Together, we are making a real difference in the lives of these children and shaping a brighter future for them. (Dec 24, 2024)
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Update on our partnership with Emerge Lanka Our ongoing partnership with Emerge Lanka has impacted 87 child survivors of trauma and childhood sexual abuse in two shelters learn about safe accommodation, health relationships and anger management therapy. RCCM is happy to see the progress Emerge Lanka Foundation’s In-Person Shelter Workshops have made in the wellbeing of these girls throughout the partnership period. November 7, 2025
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8th Dialog Enterprise Rotary Metro Charity Golf ClassicHighlights from our recent press conference announcing the 8th Dialog Enterprise Rotary Metro Charity Golf Classic tournament and dinner.   |
Donation to Vijaya Kumarathunga Memorial Hospital Today the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan donated three retinoscopes, a pulse oximeter, a fingertip pulse oximeter, and a digital blood pressure meter to Vijaya Kumarathunga Memorial Hospital at Seeduwa. |
Rotary for Little HeartsSome Exciting News! (Aug 9, 2024)
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President Roshan's Installation Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan welcomed our 36th President Roshan Peries with a magical installation bash on July 26. Wishing Roshan and her new board every success in the coming year and looking forward another year of serving the community. (Aug 3, 2024) |
Two Hearts Milestone ‘Dear uncles and aunties, I was sick and didn’t even know about it. I had a hole in my heart, and doctors were able to heal me. Now I am feeling great!’ - Dineth Himsara #rotaryclubofcolombometropolitan competed our 50th congenital heart surgery under Two Hearts Project for the Rotary year 23/24. We thank all the doctors and support staff at Lanka Hospitals and Nawaloka Hospital who made it possible to carry out these surgeries at cost for the children who were on Lady Ridgeway Hospital waiting list. We would like to thank our generous donors whose contributions made this project possible. (28 June 2024) |
Castle Street Hospital Donation on June 26, #rotaryclubcolombometropolitan repaired five defective Atom Infant Incubators and handed them over to Castle Street Hospital for Women. We hope these machines will help the hospital care for premature babies who need support. (June 27, 2024) |
Metro Quiz Night What a night! The Metro Quiz Night was an absolute blast with 59 participants taking part last evening. Congratulations to the winning teams ‘Mendis Specials’, ‘Backbenchers’ and ‘Hens Unlimited’ who came in first, second and third places respectively. A big thank you to our quiz master Jehaan Ismail and his team for organizing an excellent event. (June 8, 2024) |
Rotary Youth Rotary Youth Services helps younger leaders build leadership skills and learn the value of service.We at RCCM could not be prouder of the Rotaract Clubs we support! Thank You Rotaract Club of Excellence and Rotaract Club of University Alumni for stepping up and helping us with Rotary Honda Purudu Champions last month. (June 8, 2024) |
Lunch Meeting June 2024 This week we were delighted to welcome our guest speaker Arjun Fernando who spoke to the club on Building Professional Sports Teams detailing the technical aspects of sports administration and team selection. Thank You Arjun for the insightful presentation and discussion, we hope to see you at our club in the future as well. June 6, 2024 |
Emerge Lanka Update Rotary Club of Metropolitan was excited to welcome Emerge Lanka earlier this month at our luncheon meeting. It was heartening to hear stories of the impact our club's contributions had made in the lives of 137 girls who have benefited from the in-person Shelter Programs. (May, 2024)
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Incubator Donations to Ratnapura Teaching Hospital Last month Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan donated two Infant Incubators to the Neonatal intensive care unit at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital. We hope these machines will help the hospital save the lives of pre-terms babies. (May 1, 2024) |
Rotary Honda Purudu Champions - Season 3 Here’s some pictures from season 3 finals of the Rotary Honda Purudu Champions showcasing the best performances of our LMSV kids. Congratulations to all the winners! |
Hemodialysis Machines Donation Today morning #RotaryColomboMetropolitan completed one of our biggest projects for this year by donating four Dialog+ Hemodialysis Machines to the Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplant Unit of National Hospital of Sri Lanka.The dedicated Nephrology Team at the Dialysis Unit carry out 24-hour hemodialysis services for those in need, helping over 80 patients a day. Dialysis is provided to patients with acute kidney injury and chronic renal failure, and patients who are awaiting transplants. We Thank our generous donors who made this possible and hope our contribution will serve patients who are in need. |
Water ProjectPure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.  #RotaryColomboMetropolitan handed over a reverse osmosis water purification system to Giri Ruggassagara Junior College, a school in Giriulla. This system will give access to clean drinking water for the 104 students at the school, interestingly this school has a 100% pass rate at the last GCE Ordinary Levels examination in Giriulla education zone and is also ranked the top for best results. Thank You Amitha Silva and the Silvermill Group in helping identify the school and help coordinate the installation of the water purification system. This project was funded by a district grant and supplemented by club funds. If you ever visit the Giriulla area, please do stop by the school and meet these exceptional students who welcome you with their brightest smiles and a  glass of water.(March 19, 2024) |
National Eye Hospital Donation Eyes are the windows to the world, don't let someone's world stay dark.This week #RCCM donated 6 vials of Avestin injection to the National Eye Hospital. Each vial will help treat 50 people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic eye disease and other problems of the retina. |
Donation to Kalubowila Teaching Hospital This week #RCCM donated an 18,000 BTU Air Conditioner to the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital's Intensive Care Unit Ward no 25. (March 4, 2024) |
RCCM Meeting February 2024 Rotary club Metropolitan was delighted to host Noordeen (Nooni) Sethwala at our weekly luncheon meeting this week. He presented an informative talk on the history of the poultry industry in Sri Lanka and answered the aged old question of 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?' We also thank visiting Rotarian, Luke De Silva from Rotary Connecticut for his generous donation for our Little Minds Strong Values Project. (Feb 21, 2024) |
Rotary International President Visits Sri Lanka |
Harmony for Little HeartsSAVE THE DATE!  (Jan 7, 2024)
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Little Hearts It's heartening to see such generous contributions and collaborative efforts for a noble cause. The Rotary International District 3220 and the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan, along with Mr. Nahil Wijesuriya, have made a significant impact on the Little Hearts Project in memory of Agnes Wijesuriya. The donation of LKR 1 Billion to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital's Cardiac and Critical Care Complex is a commendable initiative, especially for the installation of the much-needed air conditioning system.Acknowledgements go out to Rotarian Dinali B Dandeniya, Rotarian Gerald De Saram, Dr. Duminda Samarasinghe, and Mr. Nandike Samaranayake for their dedicated efforts in facilitating the donation process. The Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan's ongoing commitment to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital through the Two Hearts Project, providing life-changing heart surgeries for children with congenital heart disease, showcases the positive impact that collaborative initiatives can have on communities. Special thanks are extended to corporate and private sponsors, as well as project partners like Linde Foundation, Gift of Life Sri Lanka, and International, for their continuous support over the years. The involvement of medical professionals such as Dr. Duminda Samarasinghe, Dr. Kanchana Singappuli, Dr. Mugunthan Sithamparanathan, and Dr. Malik de Soysa underscores the comprehensive and multi-stakeholder approach in addressing the healthcare needs of children in Sri Lanka. The collective efforts of all involved parties exemplify the spirit of compassion and community service, ultimately contributing to the betterment of healthcare facilities and the well-being of children in Sri Lanka. (Dec 29, 2023) |
Merry Christmas Merry Christmas from our #RCCM family to yours! Sending you our wishes filled with love and laughter this fabulous festive season. (Dec 25, 2023) |
RCGC Donation Kumar Mirchandani for our club hands over 10% of the profit we made at the Dialog Enterprise Rotary Metro Par 3 golf tournament held recently at the RCGC to Captain Rohitha.It’s always a pleasure to work with the RCGC and to help the caddies at the RCGC. |
Microfinancing for Women As we draw close to this year's Community Economic and Development Month, #RCCM spotlights our ‘Microfinancing for Women’ project which helps underprivileged women gain self-sufficiency. Through our partner Vision Fund Lanka, a total of 60 women in rural areas have developed and maintained small businesses uplifting the lives of their dependents.We commend Vision Fund Lanka in managing the seed capital from #RCCM which has now allowed them to reinvest half of the collections back as new loans to further enhance the lives of women. (Oct 28, 2023)
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Rotary Polio Day Awareness Campaign - One Goal, One Day #DYK Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 43 years. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary International has reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since the first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort. This World Polio Day #RCCM salutes the Rotarians Past and Present who by their tireless efforts have made many countries polio-free. #RotaryPolioPlus #RotaryDistrict3220 #OneGoalOneDay (Oct 24, 2023) |
Two Hearts Surgery Project Did you know that your heart is the size of your fist and the strongest muscle in your body? It started beating about three weeks after you were conceived. If you live to be 70, it will have beaten two and a half billion times. On 29th of September #RCCM marked World Heart Day commencing our Two Hearts Surgery Project for the year 23/24. We thank Dr. Malik De Zoysa who carried out the ASD repair surgery on little Chamidu Sathsara who was born with a hole in the heart. #RCCM with the financial assistance of our generous donors will be supporting Chamidu with nutritional food packs for a period of 6 months as he recovers from his surgery. As our nation celebrates Childrens Day today, we wish little Chamidu many more children’s days with good health. (Oct 1, 2023) |
Medicine Donation to National Hospital Colombo Today #RCCM made a donation of Myfortic oral medication to the Nephrology and transplant unit of National Hospital Colombo. This drug is used by kidney transplanted patients post-surgery, to prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted kidney.RCCM thanks our donors who made this medicine donation possible.  |
Rotaract Club of Excellence Congratulations to the Rotaract Club of Excellence in electing Nathasha Abdeen as their President for the year 2023-24. Word on the street is that Nathasha is a powerhouse woman who handles everything thrown at her with grace and finesse. As we wish Natasha and her board an incredible year ahead, we are thrilled to see #RACExcellence forging ahead under her leadership. Rotaract Club of Excellence is one of the three Rotaract Clubs that Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan sponsors.
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Club Meeting September There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling. This week’s guest speakers Andrew Fidel Fernando and Mohamed Fairooz shared the experiences researching for their article ‘The Boat People’ and visual novel ‘Salt Water Pilgrims’. We were presented with compelling stories of people from neglected communities who in desperation risk their lives to migrate by sea.#RCCM expresses its heartfelt gratitude to Past District Governor Senaka Amarasinghe for donating LKR 100,000 to our LMSV project this week. |
District Governor's Visit On September 6, #RCCM welcomed District Governor Rtn. Jerome Rajendran on his official visit to our club. He was accompanied by Assistant Governor Rtn. Sashini Ambagahawita and District Secretary Rtn. Ramanah V.The Board had the opportunity to hear from the District Governor regarding Rotary International, the district’s goals, objectives and issues that are important this year. The club also had an opportunity to update the district on the progress of our projects and the plans for year. President Kishani handed over a cheque to Governor as contribution to the Rotary Foundation. |
LMSV Kids on Television Another milestone for #RCCM’s Little Minds Strong Values (LMSV) project!Starting today Sep 4, a weekly program on LMSV Honda Purudu will be telecasted on Ada Derana 24 under “Ada Derana Education for Kids”. The program will feature LMSV children talking and performing about values and ethics. Watch Ada Derana 24 every Monday at 3.30pm to see our LSMV champions. |
Basic Education and Literacy Month This Basic Education and Literacy Month, #CMBMetro highlights its nine yearlong work to bring a smile on the faces of the children of Gamini Vidyalaya, a government funded school from an underprivileged neighborhood of Colombo.Rotary Metropolitan has initially sponsored extra classes to teach English for children attending this school. That assistance later extended to sponsor classes to teach dancing and book donations to the school library. Later on, the club went on to set up a computer lab for the school, upgrade its washrooms and help with flood relief in 2016 as the school is situated in a flood prone area. It is always a joy to visit the school’s Annual English & Dance Day celebrations to watch how the children have progressed year on year. |
Rotaract Club of University Alumni Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan congratulates the Rotaract Club of University Alumni on the installation of their 10th President Emalka Gunathilake and his Board of Directors for the year 2023-24. As we raise a glass to #RACUniAlumni for a decade of service, we also wish the new board every success for the year ahead. |
Digital Literacy to De Soysa Maha VidyalayaDigital is the future! Access to computers and the Internet has become a basic need  for education.Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan in partnership with the Italian Car Enthusiasts Club (ICEC) through their Charity Rally fundraising efforts renovated the computer lab of De Soysa Maha Vidyalaya and donated five computers to the school. Here are some pictures of #cmbmetro’s efforts to make digital literacy more accessible to De Soysa Maha Vidyalaya. |
Partnership with Emerge LankaRotary Club of C  olombo Metropolitan is proud to partner with Emerge Lanka Foundation (ELF) for Emerge In-person Shelter Programme for Survivors of Trauma, including Sexual Abuse.The program will empower young, institutionalized survivors to break free from the cycle of abuse by equipping them with knowledge on their rights and also help identify their emotions and thoughts, process trauma, learn effective coping strategies in order to regulate themselves and navigate their interpersonal relationships. |
Maternal and Child Health Month This Maternal and Child Health Month, throwback to some pictures of our child health projects that recognized #CMBMetro for its outstanding contribution in this space at the last district awards.Two Hearts, congenital heart surgery Project will once again support another 50 children this rotary year with Lanka Hospitals and Nawaloka hospital partnering with us to carry out the surgeries on the Lady Ridgeway wait list at cost. We will be supporting these 50 children with nutrition pack for a period of 6 months post-surgery. Rotary Metropolitan will continue to support Hermann Geminer School in Kesbewa and the Feeding Program in Dehiwela by providing nutritional meal for these children throughout the coming Rotary year. |
First Meeting for Rotary YearRotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan kicked off its first lunch meeting for Rot  ary year with President Kishani outlining her priorities for the year and providing an update on ongoing projects. The meeting was graced by Assistant Governor Sashini Ambagahawita of District 3220.Our guest speaker for the day Deshal De Mel delivered an informative talk about the Progress of Sri Lanka’s IMF Program and Steps Ahead. |
Installation Banquet of Kishani Gunasekera On the 9th of July, the Installation Banquet of the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan was held welcoming Kishani Gunasekera as our 35th President.We also welcomed our newest member Sachi Samarasinghe to the Metro Family and congratulated some of our current members whose exceptional work during the past year was recognized at the district awards. Thank You Dilini Hennayake for your inspirational leadership, the club is lucky to have been guided by you over the past year. As we embark on a new year, we wish Kishi and her team every bit of success and are looking forward to another great year serving the community with our Rotary Family. |
Installation Banquet of Joevinie MachadoOn the 1st of July 2026 , the Installation  Banquet of the Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan was held welcoming Joevinie Machado as our 38th President. We also welcomed our newest member Shaleeka Jayalath to the Metro Family and congratulated some of our current members whose exceptional work during the past year was recognized at the district awards. Thank You Immediate Past President Nasser Majeed for your inspirational leadership, the club is lucky to have been guided by you over the past year. As we embark on a new year, we wish Joe and her team every bit of success and are looking forward to another great year serving the community with our Rotary Family. |
Rotary’s Response to the 1918 Flu Pandemic
This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year. The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California, USA, meets in John Hinkel Park during the 1918 flu pandemic. |
Rotary at the Start of the United Nations
During World War II, Rotary informed and educated members about the formation of the United Nations and the importance of planning for peace. Materials such as the booklet “From Here On!” and articles in The Rotarian helped members understand the UN before it was formally established and follow its work after its charter. Many countries were fighting the war when the term “United Nations” was first used officially in the 1942 “Declaration by United Nations.” The 26 nations that signed it pledged to uphold the ideals expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom the previous year of the common principles “on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.”
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History of Women in RotaryWomen are active participants in Rotary, serving their communities in increasing numbers and serving in leadership positions in Rotary. The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary. “My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905. I sincerely believe that Rotary has to adapt itself to a changing world,” said Frank J. Devlyn, who would go on to become RI president in 2000-01. The vote followed the decades-long efforts of men and women from all over the Rotary world to allow the admission of women into Rotary clubs, and several close votes at previous Council meetings.
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Young Inventor Eco-Friendly Bricks Come Full Circle
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First Club in Philippines Opens Door to Rotary in Asia
The club would be the only one in the country for more than 12 years. Eventually, Manila club members organized Rotary clubs in the Philippine cities of Cebu (1932) and Iloilo (1933). Iloilo club members then started a club in Bacolod (1937), and Rotary continued to expand across the country. |
An estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected. Many cities closed theaters and cinemas, and placed restrictions on public gatherings. Rotary clubs adjusted their activities while also helping the sick.
Rotary and the United Nations have a shared history of working toward peace and addressing humanitarian issues around the world.
Every hero has an origin story. “I was 10 years old when the entire journey started,” explains Binish Desai. It began with a cartoon called Captain Planet, an animated TV series from the 1990s about an environmentalist with superpowers. Desai can still recite the show’s refrain: Captain Planet, he’s our hero / Gonna take pollution down to zero! “That tagline stuck in my mind,” he says. “I wanted to do something to help Captain Planet.”
In early 1919, Rotarian Roger Pinneo of Seattle, Washington, USA, traveled to the Philippines to try to organize a Rotary club in Manila. Leon J. Lambert, a Manila business leader helped Pinneo establish the club. Several months later, on 1 June 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila was chartered and became the first Rotary club in Asia.