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The project begins!
The beginning of September was marked with a promise of new experience for the AIESECers in the university of Kelaniya. Global Classroom, the AIESEC contribution towards the betterment of education in Sri Lanka reopened for the second time. With the title Global Classroom 2.0, the project started with new Exchange participants and a new organizing committee. Teaching in Sri Lanka was not just about teaching for the project. It was a journey planned for teaching, sharing culture, and to find themselves facing challenges in a new terrain. This was, in the experience of exchange participants and the organizing committee, a landmark which helped their personalities take shape.
The approval set the course for the journey of three exchange participants; Brian Muraya from Kenya, Eleni Papaefthymiou from Greece and Gulcan Ebru from Turkey. They arrived in the first week of September, a few days before the commencement of the project.
Expectations
At the ceremonial end of their Global Classroom journey, we asked how they felt about their whole experience.
“I was relying a lot on the media, before I came here. When I did, I learned that Sri Lanka was different to what I saw in them,” said Brian. “People here are happy and ever smiling” He says. “I wanted to teach my students and I wanted to learn about the culture and the people.”
“My best moments apart from traveling were interacting with kids. I learned the way they think, which was a rewarding experience.” Brian remarked recalling his students at LEEDS International in Negombo.
Elen, who worked at the WISE international, Kandana, told us that what she expected first from here was to be safe. And in the comfort of working with the students she told us how much she enjoyed teaching. “Today, my students learned that we were leaving soon. Most of the children told me ‘don’t go, Elen teacher, live here’ and I felt so touched by that.” Elen expects to continue in her path to become a teacher in Greece. We witnessed ourselves how much she had bonded with her students at the final day event.
Gulcan worked with Elen at WISE international with Elen teaching students of the primary section. She also aspires to become a math teacher, which she claims has become a more clear ambition after this project. “The best part of the project for me too was working with the students. In teacher’s day, I saw the pure love they had and I just love them for that.”
Incoming Preparation Seminar and Work Experience
The Incoming Preparation Seminar of the project happened soon after the arrival of the exchange participants. There we explained them further their role as a volunteer working in the Global Classroom project. More importantly, they got to experience some of the cultural food items, and some rituals of Sri Lanka.
Searching for beauty
In addition to the teaching in their allocated schools, traveling and experiencing Sri Lankan culture was what occupied them. They travelled to Galle and the Colombo city, seeking for more memories. Some of the religious icons they found, evoked their curiosity, and told us later how much similar they found this religiousness with their countries. The sun bathed city of Galle was another mesmerizing landscape that captured the minds of the EPs.
One of the ER partners for the project, Ape Panthiya, was one such experience that granted the EPs one such experience to engage with students of Advanced Levels. With them, Brian shared his culture, and his knowledge of his country and leaving with them the curiosity to inspire them to understand his culture.
The Final Day Event
The end crawled near for the project with the second week of October. And the OC of the project had to announce its officiality. To make the effect of the project even more impactful the OC decided to donate the many and the best books to the WISE International they found hunting especially for the event. The book donation took place on the 14th, with the participation of all the exchange participants.
Farewell
The OC arranged the farewell on the same day as the final day event. The OC had found a lovely beachside restaurant: Light House Galley facing the ocean met at the Galle face. Officially gathering for the last day, all the EPs and the OC got their chance to talk about the experience, the best and the funniest, the scary and the challenging moments of their journey. We shared all the stories over a final Sri Lankan style meal that we would take together, which we all took time to savor.
Also, we made it an opportunity to celebrate Elen’s 23rd birthday that arrived two weeks earlier on the day of Galle tour. A cake was brought on her behalf and everyone joined to sing for a marvelous 23rd. Another ER partner, Gamage Stores, offered us some of their art and crafts, miniature versions of ancient Sri Lankan cultural artifacts as souvenirs for the EPs, which we presented to them near the end of the event. Throughout this concluding event that carved in every one of them unforgettable memories, a spectrum of emotions was committed to pixels, so that everyone in the project could reminisce time and again.
End of a journey…
Only a week remained for the EPs to bid farewell to their students, and the new bonds they made working in a country foreign to them. Elen and Gulcan decided to work with the students at WISE to the last day they could. The bond they made with kids made it difficult, even at the end of the project to leave.
Brian, who found the people and the culture of Sri Lanka fascinating, traveled to Matara and Pinnawala to add more vibrance to the experience he wanted to remember. And in the third week of October, the time came for the EPs to say their goodbyes to the students. And so the project Global Classroom 2.0 ended, with many points of history in their memories as a series of experiences in which they rediscovered themselves.
Tribute ‘22 was definitely one of the most glamorous nights I’ve ever experienced since my outset as a member of AIESEC in University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Joining AIESEC as a novice to the culture and ways of the organization, my only intent in joining was to network with a wider University crowd. Going forward with new skills and developing into a molded leader was the last thing in my mind and it is fair to say that Tribute ’22, as prestigious as it was, has changed my direction with AIESEC for the better. 
The evening of the 27th of May, I and my friend arrived at the venue at BMICH only to find the most lively-looking and splendorful sight. The reservation was indeed the definition of glamour and was flooded with the smartly and charmingly dressed membership and their parents. The venue reflected all the hard work and dedication the Organizing Committee of Tribute ‘22 had steered even into the smallest of details in preparing this very ornate awarding ceremony. Whilst entering the venue we could not resist taking a few pictures with the perfectly assembled decor. Following the capture of elegance in photographs, we confirmed our attendance at the registration table where the in-charges were very polite and helpful and afterward we were accommodated to our seating where we united with fellow peer AIESECers. 
oil lamp and playing the University anthem. Following the accustomed ways in accord with the agenda, the organizing committee had prepared a very thoughtful and endearing session to appreciate all the encouraging parents of the AIESECers who were present that evening where they were all tributed with a flowering plant as a token of reflecting the amazing job they had done raising and nurturing the future leadership of the country.
The forum was held at the DHPL Auditorium in Colombo with the participation of students, undergraduates and members of Youth Organizations at the DHPL Conference Center, Colombo. It was kicked off by the Keynote speaker, Mr. Peter D’Almeida who emphasized the importance of youth in this battle against the economic crisis and their significance as future leaders of this country. It was followed by a panel discussion which was graced by the participation of a very prominent panel of speakers who are well known among Sri Lankans. So the panel discussion was conducted by Dr. Dinesh Hamangoda, Mr. Dhananath Fernando, Mr. Heminda Jayaweera and Mr.Tharindu Ameresekere, and it was moderated by Ms. Ashinsanie Weerasinghe who made sure that their views and perspectives on combating this crisis was well delivered.
At a time where petrol queues, daily power cuts, shortage of essential food was a common sight, Revive brought into the spotlight the methods that could be used to lift our heads from the crisis. And it was able to reach 330+ registrations surpassing the targeted delegate count of 100 – 150 delegates. Furthermore, Revive was able to join with the delegates live via the AIESEC Sri Lanka Facebook Page as well as on our multiple Network Partners surpassing a reach of 1900 views. 
This forum would have not turned out to be a success if not for the benevolent partners of Revive, including our Strategic Partner – Hemas Consumer Brands, the Professional Education Partner – CIMA Sri Lanka, Wisdom Business Academy and PrintXcel Group as Deluxe Partners, Empowerment Partner, Curve Up followed by the Media Partners, Ada Derana Business and Good PR, Print Media Partner Ceylon Today, Digital Media Partner Arteculate Asia. This event was accompanied by Ada Derana 24 as the Official Electronic Media Partner while Japura Flames contributed as the University Media Partner along with Eclipse Motion as the Live streaming Partner. Revive is also grateful for the Magazine partner – Aitken Spence, Printing and Packaging, Stationery Partner – Sadeepa Bookshop and Printing Partner – WeAds followed by the banner, food and gift partners that supported effectively to the success of Revive for the massive impact it has created. Requoting one of the delegates from the event,
I have always aspired to donate blood because I believe it will make a world of difference.
It was my great pleasure to help organize this event alongside AIESEC and as it was a collaborative initiative with the Buddhist society, the anticipation for the event was even more exciting. The event was done in a grand scale due to this group effort and many posts and flyers regarding the Blood Donation project circulated around university and within AIESEC USJ as well. In the flyers, adequate information about the campaign was given and the requirements for blood donation were informed to the potential donors prior to the event to ensure they met the criteria. 
I too wished to contribute to the cause by donating blood so I consulted the medical officers there to see if I am suitable as a donor. For this, I was first asked to provide basic information regarding myself and my health history since it’s my first time. Following this, I was instructed to check my weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature as well as testing my blood. There was a waiting line because there were many people ready to donate blood but soon I was taken in by one of the medical officers and told to rest so the donation can begin.
The medical officers were extremely kind and helpful throughout the process of donating blood and AIESECers were also present to provide any support needed to me and the other donors at all times. After the blood donation was complete, I was guided to a chair to rest. All donors were provided with a slice of cake, a fish bun, a milk packet and a King Coconut drink for refreshments. What I found thoughtful and sweet was that donors were gifted a ‘thank you’ key tag after donating. I remember as I sat down, a sense of contentment washed over me because I felt genuine happiness for contributing to the blood donation campaign.
Creative Circuit 3.0 kicked off virtually on the 15th of July with an introduction into the business side of the creative industry conducted by Mr. Niruban Satchi from Sysco Labs. It was followed by “the Art of Adobe,” a session on graphic designing by Mr. Abhishek Pandey from India and “The Roots of our Digital Experience,” an in depth session on UI/UX Designing by Rootcode Labs. The first virtual day was concluded by Mr. Dean Wright who took the audience through the secrets of visual effects behind some of his most famous work such as Titanic, Narnia and Lord of the Rings. 
The last day of Creative Circuit was conducted physically on the 23
The speakers also had positive feedback regarding the event. Mr. Prakhar Agnihotri who had worked as a VFX artist on some of the biggest blockbusters ever released by Marvel Studios such as Avengers Infinity War, Endgame and Black Panther had the following to say about Creative Circuit 3.0. 
