As we start service in-person again this semester, I hope to create a meaningful impact. As the leader of ‘Girls for Girls’, I have always been passionate about our cause – supporting young survivors of sexual assault in their reintegration to society. Having worked with our NGO partner – Emerge Lanka – for over 7 years, I hope to continue creating an impact. This is my last semester in Girls for Girls before I graduate, so I have many goals I hope to fulfil. This year Jaya and I are co-leading, and I look forward to working towards our goals.
As our first activity as a group, we created a short video for Emerge Lanka, explaining our service, introducing our team, and sharing a personal connection to the service goal. I did the final editing, and a series of solo / group clips were combined. The link is attached below :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jytGJD-7Cs98x0xw1Bnl4E7Ler-OpZ-n/view?usp=sharing
The next project we are working on will be daily activities and events for Women’s Week, coming up in March. We hope to establish our service as an active group, raise awareness on our issue, and have school-wide activities everyday of this week. This will give our group the platform to create further change.
Another goal this year is fundraising. After the pandemic, the Emerge Lanka shelter has been affected, and are in need of funds to maintain the facilities. We have been brainstorming effective fundraising methods, and some ideas include sports tournaments, concerts or webinars to raise money.
Another key event we hope to implement, is a self-
defence mastery course, recommended by a new member of our service group. This will both raise awareness on our service, and provide an opportunity for students to practically be better equipped.
Another member of our service also recommended the idea of working to implement menstrual health facilities in school bathrooms, which I think is an effective way to show support to women / girls, improve accessibility of reproductive health resources, and create a safe school environment.
Furthermore, last year I participated in a youth roundtable forum. I hope to organise a panel discussion / forum with leading faces of women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka, to educate the school community and raise awareness at a larger scale.
A goal which will run throughout the semester, is to keep our social media pages updated so we can expand our reach, and subsequently, our impact. This includes our instagram page, twitter account, facebook page, and upcoming website.
I look forward to this semester, and will update this blog as our work progresses! As a group I hope to achieve our collective goals, and create long – term impact. I feel prepared to work hard this semester, as I have learnt from previous service leaders and my work last year as a leader, and have gained experience through the years. I look forward to culminating my knowledge and passion to make a difference.
LO4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences : Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS.
LO6 : Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance : Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally
LO7 : Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions : Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.