On the 7th March 2012 the Interact Club Of Stafford International School (ICSIS) embarked on ‘Health Camp 2012”,set in the remote village of Nammuwawa in Nikaweratiya. Yet a project forecast to be a simple service to the less fortunate turned out to be more phenomenal than any interactor expected.
The annual “Health Camp” has been a Community.
Service initiative of ICSIS for four successive years. Pioneered by the club of 2008/2009, this project brings together hundreds of necessitous people each year enabling them to receive basic medical consultation, attention and treatment in the spirit of charity. The scale of the “Health Camp” has magnified each year and this year especially has been extremely successful in reaching out to those desperately in need of healthcare.
 |
| The ICSIS ‘Health Camp 12’ team |
Plans for the camp initiated in January as a group of dedicated interactors sought to take community service to unparalleled heights. The budget of Rs.300000 on their heads meant that the interactors had to carry out many fundraiser projects during the upcoming months to the camp. The club extended its gratitude to the many generous sponsors, parents and donors for their selfless contribution to this notable cause. Nawaloka Hospitals PLC and Astron (Ltd) too came forward and donated large quantities of essential drugs that the patients in Nammuwawa greatly required. Thirty interactors, five pharmacists and twelve doctors from Colombo, Kurunegala and Peradeniya attended the camp on the
The coordinating doctor this year Dr.R.Wadanamby(Consultant Microbiologist) and the staff advisors of ICSIS should also be commended for facilitating the organization of “Health Camp 2012” and for their unstinted cooperation and support to the interactors.
The camp commenced at 08:00 am on the 7th, with expectant patients filling the premises from as early as 06:00am. The patients each received an individual consultation from an available doctor and then proceeded to the pharmacy to receive the medication prescribed to them. The final tally of patients treated at the camp this year exceeded 750. In addition ICSIS decided to revolutionize the camp this year by donating reading glasses to 50 people with severely impaired vision, donated by Vision-Care and this feat truly enabled “Health Camp 2012” to surpass previous years. The camp proved to be a memorable day for all interactors and most certainly left its mark on people of the area.
“Health Camp 2012” was spearheaded by the project chairperson Int.Raaid Hussain (director of community service, ICSIS) and his dedication is mirrored in the outcome of the camp. Int.Raaid redefined community service at Stafford through the magnitude and relevance of his project and definitely set the tone for future community service initiatives in the school. Int.Kissonkan JayaKumar (project secretary) and Int.Asmara Agus (project treasurer) too played a crucial role in supporting the project chairperson and ensuring the smooth running of the camp. However ultimately it was the integrated action of all 30 interactors that was the driving force behind the camp and as Int.Raaid stated at the end of the camp, “It was a good team effort”
“Health Camp 2012” is a reflection of the inspiration of today’s youth and their sensitivity to the plight of the needy. The camp was by far the most successful held by Stafford and is likely to catalyze many more community outreach projects in time to come. The community service department of ICSIS has indeed laid the foundation for assisting those in need and should hopefully motivate future interactors to “Serve Above Self”
|
E-mail
