Kandy’s Zonta women to the fore

‘Golden Melodies’, the Zonta Club of Kandy’s first major fund-raiser was held on May 12 at St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota. This fund-raising programme was mainly undertaken to facilitate income-generating avenues for recipients of limbs from the Centre for Handicapped in Kundasale and other service programmes that will be undertaken by the club.

It was an evening to remember with Clifford Richard backed by the Gypsies presenting a glittering musical show. Mesmerising dance performances by the Channa- Upuli dance troupe and Anushan’s dancers along with performances by Richard, Dalreen and Sunil Perera kept the audience entertained. District Governor, Zonta International District 25 Manthri Perera was the chief guest and Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa guest of honour at the well attended event. The Zonta Club is an international organization of professional women which extends fraternal support and guidance to uplift the marginalized as well as socially and physically handicapped women.
The Zonta Club of Kandy which completes one year of service in Kandy has held many programmes this past year including a health camp for women and children in Bowlawatta, donation of medicines to the Kandy Hospital, distribution of gifts to the children’s cancer ward and the donation of a glucometer to the female cancer ward etc.

They also supported the foster parent scheme for children suffering from cancer, organised an eye and dental camp for the handicapped with the Rotary Club of Kandy and the Centre for the Handicapped in Kundasale and held an awareness lecture on ‘Women and Violence’ celebrating UN Day and Human Rights Day.

A fund raiser to help physically handicapped women and an awareness documentary on plantation women screened to mark International Women’s Day were some of their other activities.