KUCHING – The Rotaract Club of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus has been presented with two prestigious awards for its valuable contribution to the community over the past two years.
Rotary International awarded the club with the distinguished “Presidential Citation”. The citation is presented to Rotaract clubs which have answered the call to actively working to change lives.
The second was a Commendation Award for the Best Rotaract Project in 2013 in Rotary District 3310, for its contribution to special needs children at PIBAKAT, a non-profit organization set up and run by parents of children with various disabilities.
District 3310 includes the south of Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.
“It’s a great honour and an accomplishment to be awarded the Presidential Citation. I feel that my effort as president was fulfilled with this achievement. It’s a compliment to all the hard work our members put in throughout the year,” said 2014 Outgoing President Nilush Abeygoonaratne.
The club organized six projects in the 2013/2014 period. Among them were the “Go Bald” awareness and fundraising campaign, and a movie marathon which raised more than RM8,000 for the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society.
Nilush, an engineering student from Sri Lanka, attributed the award to “good support by the committee members, members, and not forgetting our supportive club adviser Mr Mohd Fadzlli”.
2013 Past President Umar Saibukandu said his committee initiated the PIBAKAT project and put together a series of fundraisers.
“We built a fence for the play area, a foot reflexology path, and painted a mural at the premises in the three-month project,” said the telecommunications and network engineering student.
Books and stationary were also donated to the children.
As president, Umar’s greatest challenge was completing the many projects and activities against a busy study schedule.
“Getting a club with more than 200 active members to work together is not easy but they were always flexible and easy going. We had our ups and downs but we always help each other to achieve our goals well within the deadlines.
“Everyone played vital roles. The bond we shared is what I appreciate the most.”
Both Nilush and Umar were Interact Club members in high school in Sri Lanka.
Club adviser Mohamed Fadzlli Mohd Amin said he was proud of the achievements and the involvement of its members in all projects.
“The club provides the opportunity for the members to develop themselves as future leaders as well as realizing their function as responsible citizens. It’s the little deeds we do that matters and these are what lead to big accomplishment,” said the Faculty of Business and Design lecturer.