Matara Nilwala Lions named Most Outstanding Service Project implementers

Matara Nilwala Lions Club President Lion Ashhar Hameem receiving the Award for the Most Outstanding Lions Club Service Projects in the year from Past International Governor Lion Mahendra Amarasuriya while Governor Lion Arjun Abesinghe looks on

Text and pix by P.D. De Silva

It was a historical achievement for the Matara Nilwala Lions when their President Lion Ashhar Hameem received the award for the Most Outstanding Lions Club Service Projects of the year at the annual Lions Convention held at the SLAF Auditorium in Attidiya recently. The Matara Nilwala Lions Club was formed almost two decades ago and this is the highest award the club has received since its inception.Under the Presidency of Lion Ashhar the Matara Nilwala Lions carried out the following community service projects to qualify for this award:

•    Providing school books, equipment and hostel utensils to students at the Oba Mama

 Children’s Home at Kekanadura

•    Assisting 10 youth from low income families to obtain their driving license

•    Providing books and school equipment to students attending the

Arabic Sunday school in Matara

•    Organising a successful blood donation campaign near the historic

Matara Bhodiya at which 117 donors donated blood 

•    Fund raising by staging a popular Sinhala drama

•    Providing scholarships between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 4,000 per month to school and university students who are from low income families and have either lost either one or both parents. The funds were provided by the Lions Clubs of Finland and the Nilwala Lions Club

•    ‘Gamay Auvrudda’ a traditional Sinhala New Year Festival held with the participation of members of the Matara Nilwala Lions Club and their families

•    Providing school books and equipment for 222 students of Henwala Maha Vidyalaya in Weligama and another 38 students selected from neighbouring schools under the ‘Nena Pahana’ project

•    Gifting three pressure gauges to the blood bank in Matara

•    Carrying out a tree planting campaign at Henwala Maha Vidyalaya and providing the required planting material

•    Gifting three wheel chairs to disabled provided by Lion Dharmasiri Kahagalage

•    Conducting an eye clinic and providing spectacles to 32 persons

•    Cleaning the Matara beach together with the participation of the Girl Guides of Matara

•    Providing drinking water for the 25 families in a rural village in Hakmana

•    Securing a monthly scholarship grant of Rs. 5,000 for a medical student

•    Providing hearing aids for three persons