Miles of Smiles 5.0 - Phase 01

Miles of Smiles 5.0 - Phase 01 

Children in orphanages are typically those who have lost one or both parents and don't have any other

family members available or willing to care for them. For children facing adversity and loss, books can serve as companions, offering solace, comfort, and a means of escape. They can find relatable characters, stories of resilience, and guidance through challenging situations within the pages of a book. Giving books to these curious young brains is more than just being kind; it creates an environment that encourages creativity, self-determination, and transformation.

We are thrilled to announce that our book donation was held on the 3rd of January 2024, in “Sri Sangamitta Girls Child Development Center, Pamankada” and we believe that it will benefit a lot to those bright and young beautiful flowers.

We made this book donation as the first phase – “Suraki Sinaha” of our project “Miles of Smiles 5.0” which is done for the 5^th time. After deciding to donate books to a library, we began looking for an orphanage in need of such assistance.  Then we chose the aforementioned, child development centre and communicated with them about it. Then we began to collect books from people in society.  We launched a book collection effort using social media and word of mouth among our university students. For this task, we also obtained the help of Mr. Dilum Wijesinghe, a well-known actor in Sri Lanka. We received over 500 books in Sinhala, English, and Tamil, including both children's story-telling books and educational books.

We went to the child development centre on January 3, 2024, and delivered them the books we collected from the society with a bookshelf. The occasion commenced with the cutting of the ribbon by a small girl from the children’s home. Then there was an impactful speech about the importance of reading, which was done by a beloved committee member of ours. Thereafter we provided them with some refreshments. Then there was an entertainment session too, those adorable children danced beautifully, and our crew performed songs with them, making the event vibrant. Finally, we gave them some stationery items as gifts, and Leo Shamod Gammanpila, the Club President, Leo Archana Dayawansa, the Secretary, Leo Harith Induwara, the Director of Fundraising and Management and Leo Janani Chiranga, the Project Chairperson presented gifts. At the end of the day Mr. Manoranjan Vijayabahu, the manager of the child development centre addressed some words about the event and our Project Secretary delivered a vote of thanks and the programme was concluded successfully.

We believe that each donated book represented a bridge to new worlds, promising adventures and wisdom waiting to be uncovered. At that moment the joy on their faces was priceless.

In conclusion, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the generous souls who contributed to this noble cause, whether through book donations, financial support, or their valuable time and especially to our project committee members, who helped a lot to make this event successful and our beloved other Leos and Sri Sangamitta Girls Child Development Center for giving us this opportunity to help those innocent children. Together, we have scripted a new chapter in the lives of these children, one filled with the promise of knowledge, imagination, and endless possibilities.

 

~ By Leo Madhuka Amandi