Our Period Press Release.docx (1) 
The Rotaract Club of Battaramulla proudly hosted its annual fundraiser event, “Our Period,” dedicated to addressing period poverty and supporting girls and women across Sri Lanka. Held at the Light House Galley on 14th May 2024, the event aimed to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and provide crucial support to those affected by period poverty.
The event highlighted the pressing issue of period poverty, shedding light on the challenges faced by many individuals in accessing basic menstrual hygiene products. Through powerful speeches and presentations, attendees were urged to break the silence surrounding menstruation and to work towards creating a world where every individual can experience menstruation with dignity and respect.
The “Our Period” initiative, now in its second year, has already made significant strides in supporting those in need. In its inaugural year, the project collaborated with Free to Flow, founded by Malsha Kumaratunge, and raised over LKR 1,250,000, benefiting 4,000 school girls across Mahiyanganaya and Biyagama. This year, the focus shifted towards supporting differently-abled students at Vocational Training Centers across Sri Lanka, thanks to a partnership with ChildFund Sri Lanka.
Noteworthy achievements from the past year include receiving three prestigious awards: Gold award for the Most Outstanding Project focused on any District Focus Area, Gold award for the Most Outstanding Project focused on Rotary Focus Area ‘Health, Safety, and Communal Well-Being,’ and an Exclusive Recognition from SEARIC for inspiring projects in South Asia.
The fundraising approach gave donors the opportunity to contribute towards the cause by pledging their contribution and also by purchasing tokens that doubled as bookmarks, where each sale represented the support to supply 6-months’ worth of menstrual hygiene products for one girl. This year the aim was to create awareness whilst creating advocates among us! The idea was that with each contribution made towards this cause, they become Advocates that work towards supporting those suffering from period poverty!
The event welcomed esteemed guests, including Honorable Minister Harin Fernando, Malsha Kumaranatunge (Founder of Free To Flow), District Governor Jerome Rajendram, District Rotaract Representative Rtr Sathma Jayasinghe, and Ms. Aditi Gosh (Country Director, ChildFund Sri Lanka). Their presence underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in combating period poverty.
Addressing the audience Hon. Min. Harin Fernando mentioned, there is a concerning issue in Uva province, and as the Chief Minister he was informed about the lack of school girls participation. Since then he has been involved in addressing the issue. Now as the Youth Minister, the Minister requested the Rotaract Club of Battaramulla to work with the network of the youth ministry to break the taboo and address period poverty in large. The Minister also mentioned the taboo surrounding reusable products such as menstrual cups which was spoken in the Parliament as well. And his personal vision is to make sure menstrual hygiene products should be freely available for all the households.
In her closing remarks, President of the Rotaract Club of Battaramulla, Rtr Kaveesha Siriwardena, expressed gratitude to all attendees, speakers, partners, and volunteers for their unwavering support. She emphasized the collective responsibility to create a better world where period poverty is eradicated.
As the event concluded, attendees were encouraged to continue advocating for change and supporting those affected by period poverty in their communities.
For more information about the Rotaract Club of Battaramulla and the “Our Period” initiative, please visit the official Instagram and Facebook pages: @rob.rotaract or Rotaract Club of Battaramulla.
Press Contact:
Kaveesha Siriwardena
Project Chair/President of Rotaract Club of Battaramulla. kaveeshas.rotaract@gmail.com
+94-770661811
