District 9460’s Fremantle City links up with Sri Lanka and sets model for small clubs to be in the big picture

A banner informs survivors of the Boxing Day 2004 Tsunami that Rotary cares in a housing project involving clubs in Western Australia and Sri Lanka. They are managing a Rotary Australia World Community Service-approved project for construction of 35 homes with the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya Society in Colombo.

by Susanna Bessell-Browne
Past President
Rotary Club of Fremantle City, W.A.
A project to provide housing for tsunami survivors in Sri Lanka, managed by the Rotary Club of Fremantle City, District 9460’s youngest club, is a great example of cross-club co-operation.

It also is a model for how clubs with insufficient resources to conduct their own projects can still be part of projects initiated by another club.

The Rotary Club of Fremantle City, chartered in 1999 and with 29 members, is managing a Rotary Australia World Community Service-approved project for construction of 35 houses in Sri Lanka for survivors of the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami.
The Twin Club Centennial Project is managed in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Colombo Mid Town in District 3220 and the Mallika Nivasa Samithiya Society in Colombo.

The introduction to the Colombo partners was facilitated by Professor of Coastal Oceanography at the University of Western Australia Charitha Pattiaratchi.

Sri Lankan by birth, Professor Pattiaratchi was driving to Galle on holidays on Boxing Day and experienced the tsunami’s fury. He remains very involved on the project committee at the Rotary Club of Fremantle City and was awarded Rotary Service Award for Professional Excellence in June.

Mallika Nivasa, which operates a child care centre, orphanage and retirement and nursing homes, is supervising the project. The Rotary Club of Colombo Mid Town is controlling distribution of funds.

more