What Lions do?
You cannot go very far until you do something for someone else thought Melvin Jones. The idea took root and in 1917 the world saw the birth of what grew to be the largest service organisation in the world, Lions Clubs International.
With 1.4 million service-minded men and women working together in over 200 countries and territories, the service impact of Lions Clubs International is far-reaching.
Lions of Sri Lanka have been serving the people of Sri Lanka since 1958. With a membership of 17,000 members living the motto ‘We Serve’ in over 650 Lions Clubs covering every major city in Sri Lanka, Lions together with their youth arm the Leos are the largest group of volunteers in Sri Lanka. Lions of Sri Lanka own and operate Eye Hospitals, homes for the mentally challenged, pre-schools and homes for the elderly. We have constructed and donated medical facilities to almost all key hospitals on the island. Lions focus primarily on the key global causes of vision, hunger, diabetes, environment, and pediatric cancer but are not limited in their service. The empowerment of women and youth is a key feature, especially with a growing number of women and young people joining the movement. The work carried out by Lions when the country was struck by the pandemic is nothing short of admirable. They were one of the first on the street to ensure that economically disadvantaged people had access to food. Needed Covid-related medical supplies were donated to hospitals around the island through the Thousand Hopes program.
Lions Clubs District 306A1 with a geographical reach from Colombo to Kataragama along the coastline is home to almost 2000 Lions in over 70 Lions Clubs. The 17th Annual District Convention of Lions District 306A1 will be a celebration of the service of all the hardworking Lions in the District who have served and continue to serve the underprivileged in our society. Service projects ranged from feeding people a single meal to fitting out hospital wards in Panadura and Karapitiya to helping hundreds of people regain their sight. An important feature would be the presentation of the Most Outstanding Citizen Awards, MOC Awards, with a focus on identifying individuals and organisations that are making a difference in our country through their activities to support the less fortunate people in our society. This award will encourage the recipients to do more services and motivate others to do such activities in the future.
It has been a tough year and the year ahead does not seem to be getting easier; however the Lions of District 306A1 and Sri Lanka despite the various personal hardships faced by them march bravely forward in their journey of service.