Harshini Perera has bagged Asia's Volunteer Award

I am Harshini Perera and honoured to have bagged the “Asia’s Volunteer Award of the Year” under the category, “Asia’s NGO / social service award” by Asia Awards powered by RULA Awards.

Receiving the “Asia’s Volunteer Award for the Year” is a great honour for me as I feel that my service to the community focusing on the children, the future generation of the country has been rewarded. My greatest aspiration is to serve the community at large where I am able to render my service to the girls and women to uplift their livelihood by developing life skills to be responsible members in their communities. Receiving the award is a turning point in my life to know that my service to the community is recognised by the international communities.

I am a mother of two grown up sons. My husband is the Managing Director of R.H. Constructions (Pvt) Ltd and by profession a civil engineer. My elder son is the Chief Officer attached to the Maersk shipping line while the younger one is a medical officer at the District Hospital, Chilaw. My daughter in law is a medical officer attached to the Base Hospital, Manampitiya.

I started my professional career as a teacher at a very young age. While studying at C.M.S. Ladies’ College, Colombo I joined the Brownie Pack as a Brownie, then as a Guide, a Ranger and eventually became a Guide Leader when I started my teaching career. Being a Guide Leader of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association gave me the opportunity to hold many positions within the organisation. The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association is the largest voluntary organisation for girls and women in Sri Lanka. I as a volunteer of the Association has held many positions during my span of over 35 years of voluntary service to the girls and women of Sri Lanka. The positions held at provincial level are Division Commissioner, District Commissioner, Provincial Secretary and the Provincial Girl Guide Commissioner. The position I have held at national level is Director, Communications. 

At present I am the subject coordinator and the Sylvanna of the Little Friends (Brownie) Pack of the Lyceum International School, Nugegoda. With the support of the management of the Lyceum International School I have been able to achieve many milestones within the school. My achievements would not have been a reality if not for the support extended by the management of Lyceum International Schools starting from Dr. Mohanlal Grero, Founder,  Dr. (Mrs.) Kumari Grero, Coordinating Principal, Mr. Nikitha Grero, Chief Visionary Officer and Mrs. Dulka Mendis, Principal, Lyceum International School, Nugegoda. 

As the Director, Communications of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association I was instrumental in promoting the Association through print and electronic media in Sri Lanka. I was instrumental in publishing over three hundred newspaper articles in the print media institutions of the country. I always made sure that articles were published in the three national languages of Sri Lanka namely Sinhala, Tamil and English. Approaching the electronic media institutions in Sri Lanka is always a challenge but I was lucky to be able to approach the electronic media institutions and receive positive responses to highlight the work done by our girls and leaders visually. I am eternally thankful to the print and electronic media institutions for providing the media coverage free of charge in recognition of the community service provided to the girls and women in Sri Lanka. 

I am honoured to have represented the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association and the country at international events and camps where we were able to receive accolades to our mother land in keeping our country flag flying high. The international events and camps were Camp 101 organised by the Irish Girl Guides Association in 2012, international camp organised by the Negeri Sembilan branch of Girl Guides Association of Malaysia in 2016, the Annual General Meeting and the Commissioners Conference 2019 of Girl Guides Association of Malaysia and ‘Brownies Lead’ international Pack Holiday organised by the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia in 2019. I was the head of delegation of the camps and the pack holiday where Guides and Little Friends were the participants together with other Guide Leaders. The contingent for ‘Brownies Lead’ international pack holiday which was organised by the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia comprised of one hundred and nine Little Friends and Guide Leaders including a medical officer on board. At the Annual Commissioners Conference 2019 of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia I was invited to do a session on fundraising for the Commissioners which would eventually help them to implement within their branch Associations.

As the Sylvanna of the Little Friends Pack of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda I am honoured to have been a part of activities where we were able to help needy children. The Little Friends donated stationery and school items to students from Nachchaduwa Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya, Anuradhapura in relation to a “Hadena Rataka Wadena Lamai” programme organised by the Independent Television Network of Sri Lanka in lieu of World Children’s Day. The Little Friends in lieu of the 25th Anniversary, Silver Jubilee of Lyceum International Schools renovated the house of a member of the support staff of the school. The Little Friends too also celebrated the Silver Jubilee by preparing 25 kgs of milk rice and serving to the school community. A book containing one hundred newspaper articles of activities done by the Little Friends which were published in the print media was presented to the top management of the school. A cookery demonstration on how to prepare a one dish meal too was organised by the Little Friends for the Little Friends of the school. The Little Friends raised funds to purchase Little Friend badges for their sister Little Friends at Shikshadana Vidyalaya, Moratuwa where majority of students are from low-income families. They were also gifted with uniforms, sweets and reading material. 

In connection with the centenary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association the following activities were organised by the Little Friends of Lyceum International School, Nugegoda. 

A religious ceremony was organised at the Siri Dhammarama Temple, Nugegoda.

A cake weighing 100 kilograms was prepared and was ceremonially officiated namely “Siyawasaka Mahimaya” within the school premises. 

An activity day including a bonfire was organised for the children at the Happy Homework Centre at Vidyawardena Primary School, Wellampitiya under the theme “A Friend in need is a friend indeed”. The children at the Happy Homework Centre was given gifts of stationery, toys and funds for the meals of these children.

In lieu of the Christmas festivities donations were given to the Angela Home in Moratuwa to bring a smile to the faces of the inmates. 

Funds were collected and donated to the Cancer Hospital in Sri Lanka to purchase a PET Scanner which will eventually benefit the inmates of the hospital. This was a dire need of the hospital at that time.

An aesthetic performance was organised to collect much needed funds to provide scholarships to students from selected low-income settlements in the country. 

 In recognition of my services to the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, I was awarded with the medal of merit and the thirty-year service bar. 

I have also authored a book titled “Taste of Mathematics” and also doing my own patchwork garments merchandising named “Harsho Creations”. I received a merit award at provincial level (Western Province) from the “Vanithabhimani Awards” organised by the National Development Bank of Sri Lanka together with The Capital Maharajah Organisation Limited and News 1st MTV Channel Pvt Ltd.

Receiving the “Asia’s Volunteer Award of the Year” under the category, “Asia’s NGO / social service award” by Asia Awards powered by RULA Awards is a honour and a prestige for me as a volunteer. Thank you once again to Asia Awards powered by RULA Awards for recognising by volunteer service to the community and awarding me with the “Asia’s Volunteer Award of the Year” international award for 2021.